Ferret
by MidnightBlossom
Summary: He never knew mud tasted so sweet... “AHHHHHH!” Get out you pervert!” yelled a flushed and yet infuriated Granger trying desperately to cover herself. That night he got a nasty scar on his left eyebrow from the razor Granger threw at his head.
1. Unexpected Happenings

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters you are familiar with.

A/N: I revised the first chapter, finally! It's basically the same, just with less grammatical errors, and (hopefully) less confusing.

"Ferret!"

"Mudblood!"

The two marched back to their rooms and slammed their doors at the same time.

And this was one of the days that you can call them being "nice" to each other. Other days, well… let's just say the only way you couldn't't here them shouting at each other is if you left the castle. As Head Boy and Head Girl, it was their duty to promote inter-house unity, and to at least be civil with one another out of there private quarters. So far, from the sound coming from the Head dormitories, things weren't going so well. She blamed it on him having the inability to work with others courteously. He blamed it on her always wanting to control everyone and everything. Others blamed it on inability to see that they both fancied each other, and the tension was just too much. If Draco wasn't Head Boy, he would have thrown his head back, laughed, and hexed you until you had to walk on one leg because all your other limbs were nowhere to be found. Malfoy believed that it was the wizarding world's most malevolent and despicable man who did this to him on purpose. Not Voldemort, or his father.

Dumbledore.

Malfoy believed it was Dumbledore's secret desire to make his life a living hell. And he was succeeding.

X

"I mean I can't be-"

"Hermione! You've been talking about Malfoy for the past 15 minutes! Can we talk about something we care about?" interrupted Ron.

"Well, sor-ry Ronald," replied Hermione, her eyes narrow and dangerous. Hermione always called Ron, "Ronald" when she was annoyed with him. "I always have to listen to you talk about Quidditch, girls, how much you hate Snape, but I can't talk about my life for a good 10-

"15." corrected Ron, "And you hate Snape too!"

She continued to eye him, thoroughly irritated, "Fifteen minutes –"

"Okay Hermione! Forget I said anything at all, all right?" apologized Ron. And then mumbled something about insane women.

"Fine. I'm going to the library." Hermione gathered her things and left in a huff.

"You know not to interrupt Hermione when she's in one of her moods." Harry told Ron after she had left.

"I know, but geez, there's only so much a man can take."

X

Draco had been watching this happen from the Slytherin table. He had heard all her rude remarks about him and had rolled his eyes so many times that he could have developed a serious eye problem. Though, the fact that he had been on her mind so much did sort of made him feel proud.

X

Hermione, who had cooled down since the Great Hall, had strolled in the Head's Common Room with a handful of books and saw Malfoy scribbling on a piece of parchment. She put down the books on the end table near the entrance and wondered what Malfoy could be so immensely focused on. She leaned forward, and saw _Arithmacy_, written in neat, small, slanted handwriting at the top of his paper.

"Have you always been this nosy?" Malfoy said suddenly, without looking up from his essay.

Hermione jumped back in surprise, she was almost certain he didn't't notice her come in.

She didn't't bother answering his question.

"How did you…"

Malfoy glanced up from the parchment, a slightly annoyed expression on his handsome features.

"If you haven't noticed Granger, you aren't't the most discreet person."

"Excuse me?" asked Hermione as she sat across from him.

"And I'm doing an Arithmacy essay if you must know" said Malfoy, sensing that she had been curious as to what he was writing. A few moments later, he had put the finishing touches on his essay, and in one swift movement rolled up the parchment and placed it in his bag.

He leaned back on the sofa, crossed his arms over his chest, and observed Granger.

Granger ignored the initial urge to squirm under his intense grey gaze, took his stare as a challenge, and in retaliation narrowed her eyes into slits and glared back.

Draco broke the silence, "Do you always go to whine to Potty and the Weasel every time we get into a fight."

"I do not whine, Malfoy. And I honestly don't know why you insist on calling them "Potty" and "Weasel", it's like your five or something."

"I do not act like I'm five," Malfoy said a matter-of-factly, "And I'll stop calling them Potty and Weasel, when you all stop calling me "Ferret".

Draco despised Mad-Eye Moody even though it was revealed that it wasn't actually him. That experience, whether Draco admitted it or not, still had its effects on him. It made him sort of… twitchy.

Granger smiled, "Like that will ever happen."

Draco smirked in return, "Exactly."

Silence.

Granger opened her mouth, closed it as if she changed her mind, and finally, "Did we just… agree on something?"

"I believe we did, Granger."

Another moment of silence.

"You have bushy hair." Draco said out of the blue.

Granger instinctively touched the back of her head and scowled at Malfoy. "Never pass up the chance to be an arse, do you Malfoy?"

"Of course not. In fact, it's what I strive for."

Granger was so sick of how he constantly picked at her insecurities for no reasons other than being a complete jerk.

Granger temper was beginning to flare, "You're just like your father. Arrogant, rude, pompous –"

Draco glared at her, "I don't see what my father has to do with any of this."

If there was one thing Draco hated, it was being compared to his excuse for a father. He spent all his life trying to get the man's approval, and it wasn't until recently that Draco had realized that he was better off without Lucius.

"I'm sure he has everything do with how you are. You're like his personal mini-me, made only for the purpose of terrorizing everyone around you."

Draco began to rise on his feet, "And what about you Granger?" Malfoy said in a vicious tone, "You're something of a "mini-me" as well, right? Skipping after Potter and Weasley like some poor pathetic groupie."

"They're my friends!" Hermione began to rise as well, "But you wouldn't't know anything about friendship would you? No, of course you wouldn't. Considering you don't have any-"

"Don't talk about things you have no idea about, Granger." Draco said dangerously, standing at his full height.

"-Minions, acquaintances, sure, but you probably couldn't be civil enough to –"

Two of them stood there, Granger screaming at him, with only the small common room table between them, when Draco did something he had wanted to do since the beginning of 7th year.

X

FLASHBACK

_It was a rainy day in October, Draco had just come from Quidditch practice, and he was very muddy. You might ask why, since quidditch is played in the air, on a broomstick. Well, when incompetent new players, keep falling off their brooms, hitting the mud, and continuously bumping into you, you tend to get a bit dirty after practice. But as captain, he had to train and put up with them. Draco swore they were much better in try-outs. The first thing he did after practice was tell his players they better not suck when they played Gryffindor next week, and headed towards the Heads' bathroom. Everything was quiet so Draco thought Granger must have gone to the library. _

_"Going to become a book herself soon" he mumbled to himself. _

_As he opened the bathroom door he heard a feminine voice scream, and not after, a shaving, and naked Hermione, with a red towel at her feet. _

_ "AHHHHHH!" Get out you pervert!" yelled a flushed and yet infuriated Granger trying desperately to cover herself. _

_That night he got a nasty scar on his left eyebrow from the razor Granger threw at his head. _

_He dodged the rest of the things she threw at him, and went to his room as he heard Granger slam the bathroom door shut. _

_"I'll guess I'll shower in the morning," he thought to himself as he flopped on his bed. _

_That night he couldn't help but think about Granger, and how he had never realized how she had "developed". The next day she went on as the stern, firm, McGonagall-like, Head Girl Granger with a stick up her arse and pretended as if nothing had happening the night before. They were patrolling that night, and Draco thought it would be a great time to bring up some "friendly" conversation. _

_"Malfoy," Hermione said, "Let's get this over with." _

_"Agreed." _

_ After walking about three floors and seeing a few 5th years snogging in secret places, without saying as much as a peep to each other, Draco decided to break the ice. _

_"Look Granger, about last night," Draco started. _

_"Forget it Malfoy, let's just say you never saw me, ok?" said Hermione stopping to face him.. _

_She grabbed Draco by the arm, firmly. _

_"Am I understood?" asked Hermione sternly. _

_ "Yes, now get off me woman!" _

_And that was the end of it…Publicly. _

_Secretly, Draco had begun to… let's say lust for her. Love was definitely too strong of a word. Don't worry though; Draco wasn't the sappy, lovesick kind of an admirer who stalked her behind trees and statues and whatnot. He was still the dignified, sophisticated Malfoy he had always been, and would never ever tell a soul about his desire for Mudblood Granger. Not even if his head on the guillotine._

END FLASHBACK

He kissed her.

He leaned toward Granger, and he kissed her. Hermione froze and just took the kiss, wide-eyed and not knowing what to do. Not kissing him back, but not making the effort to get him off of her. Realizing she was probably too much of a prude to kiss him back, he pulled out of the kiss, looking deeply into her eyes, looking for an answer. This is what he got; "Good night, Malfoy"


	2. Mission: Impossible?

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone familiar here, J.K. Rowling does. Blah Blah Blah...

A/N: I moved the day when Malfoy saw Hermione to October because it couldn't be in April. I said it was at the beginning of the school year, and April is the end of the school year. So now it's October. I guess I picked April because of April showers.

I suddenly had a burst of inspiration! I went of a mini-vacation to my grandma's house. I know what you're thinking, after only one chapter? Well anyway, when you're with two old people and a T.V, ya get bored and get the urge to write. I have idea what to do for the next two or three chapters; I just need to connect the dots. Be prepared for romance, tears and a bit of humor.  R&R Enjoy.

Chapter Two – Mission: Impossible?

"Good night, Malfoy"

This is what he got? A measly "Good night, Malfoy?" The mind of Hermione Granger was confusing as Longbottom in Potions. Draco Malfoy, was abandoned in the Head's common room, as Granger walked up the stairs and into her bedroom. He felt rejected. Malfoy's do not work well with rejection. Usually, when he kissed girls they would either faint, want more, or run to tell their girlfriends to brag and to squeal so loudly they could banshees to shame. He was an aristocratic, spoiled pureblood, who always got what he wanted. This feeling was awkward, and he didn't like it one bit. He scowled as he walked back to his bedroom. Draco blamed it on Hermione on that fateful rainy day in October. "For the bloody brightest witch of the era, she sure lacks common sense," He muttered to himself. Who the hell doesn't lock their door if they're stark naked in a bathroom? I mean really? He fell onto his bed. Hermione must be… a lesbian. Makes sense, I mean has no serious boyfriend, no fashion sense, and I've never seen her dress like a real girl clothes besides the Yule ball and her Hogwarts uniform. "Pity, why are all the cute ones gay? He sighed. "Another bloody year at Hogwarts…" he thought as he lay in his bed staring at the ceiling.

Hermione had been standing leaning on the door, for a very unhealthy amount of time staring into space. Outside, Hermione may seem unresponsive and motionless, but in her mind, a conflict was roaring.

" _This is not normal!_

_You're damn straight._

_What would Harry and Ron would say?_

_Nothing! Absolutely nothing. _

_What? Why?_

_That's because you're not going to tell them!_

_Why the bloody hell not?_

_Because Ron and Harry (mostly Ron) would beat the pale off Malfoy, the last thing we need is a dead Head Boy and two expelled friends…" _

She hated Malfoy at this moment; Hermione believed that Malfoy must be up to something. Malfoy was never up to good. He made her feel misplaced and indecisive. Hermione Granger was never misplaced or indecisive! She always knew what to do and where to go. There was a time when she had a problem and she could go to the sanctuary of the library. You wouldn't imagine how she wished there was a book called "_What to do when a Slytherin Bastard, Wimp, and Childhood Enemy kisses you_" He was trying to mess with her head. Yes! That's it. Oh god, he was winning. Why did he love to get under her skin! You must not let the enemy win! "Hermione," she said to herself, "you will try her best to avoid anything Malfoy throws in your way." She mentally laughed to see how paranoid she was getting, almost like Uncle Bert, when he gets too many to drink and thinks they're all under government surveillance. One thing flashed into her head as she concluded her rapid thoughts. "Mission: Avoid Insufferable Prat".

Hermione had nostalgic and almost longing feeling when she stepped into the Gryffindor common room. Of course she would, she hadn't been there in ages. All those memories she had, and all the events and parties after Gryffindor won a Quidditch game, or won the House Cup. She was disturbed in her remembrance when a fiery-red headed Weasly came down from the girl dormitories.

"Hermione! Ready to go?"

"Yeah, but can I use the bathroom before we go?"

"Sure"

Hermione had come to the GCR (Gryffindor Common Room) to pick up Ginny so they could go to Great Hall together. Ginny was growing impatient.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing?" shouted Ginny as she stomped up the stairs. "We're going to be late for breakfast!"

"I'm flossing!" bellowed Hermione.

"Flossing? Oh Hermione, what's wrong?" asked a concerned Ginny.

Ginny remembered the last time Hermione had flossed for this amount of time was when 6th and 7th year went to Hogmeade for a day. It was snowing and it was very cold and icy. Well, when Hermione had just stepped out of the carriage and there just happened to be a very long and icy sheet and one she stepped down, she slipped until she hit the wall of The Three Broomsticks. Upside down, face in the snow, and bottoms up. The most embarrassing part was that her skirt was over her head and her "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" knickers where showing. When she got back, she used five full boxes floss her parents had sent her, and had flossed so much her gums were minty green for a few days. Since then, she always wore shorts under her skirt, looked where she was stepping and always flossed when she was nervous, embarrassed or confused.

"Mione, give me the floss" Ginny said slowly with her hand out.

"No, I'm not finished" Hermione explained. "Ginny what are you doing!"

"Give me the floss!"

"No!"

"ARGGHHH"

They fought over the floss till Hermione let go and Ginny slammed into the bathroom wall.

Hermione gasped. "Ginny! Oh my god, I'm so sorry!"

Ginny groaned. "Nothing Pomfrey can't fix," she said. "We will talk about this later, Hermione." she said through her teeth." Hermione nodded. "C'mon help me up."

"You're late," said Harry.

"Thanks for stating the obvious" said Ginny before she gave him a kiss.

Hermione and Ron both winced. "We are trying to eat here."

"Ron, you're always eating," explained Harry. Ron shrugged as he stuffed his face with food.

"Anyways, we have important things concerning our friend Hermione," said Ginny.

"Ginny, don't" warned Hermione.

Ginny ignored her. "'Mione was flossing."

"Really? She hasn't done that since the Hogmeade trip." said Harry.

"Wrestle her down for it, I did."

Ron chuckled as he thought about it.

"What are you laughing at?" asked a heated Hermione.

"Nothing," Ron said half-laughing. "You only do that when you're nervous or depressed our something right?

"No, depressed is chicken and ice-cream." Harry cut in.

"Can't a normal person floss without being something wrong?" asked Hermione.

"A normal person, but not you" explained Ron.

Hermione gaped, they knew her all too well, and she knew "the question" was going to come into the conversation soon. See? There it is.

"So, what's wrong?" asked Harry.

She sighed. "Nothing, you can fix," said Hermione honestly as she finished her muffin.

After classes Draco decided that he needed to settle things out. He saw Hermione and thought it was perfect timing. So as she was about to pass him he grabbed her by the arm and pull her into am empty corridor.

"Granger we need to straighten out things out" Hermione just looked at him with pure annoyance.

"I wonder if there is a spray called Prat-Be-Gone," Hermione said aggravated. "Malfoy, I don't know what you're up to, but I don't like it," said Hermione in her stick-in-her-arse tone.

Draco looked amused. "You can't avoid me forever" said Draco calmly but tightning the grip on her arm. She looked livid.

"Watch me," she said as she walked away.


	3. The Beginning of a Journey

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, J.K. Rowling does.

A/n: It's slow in the beginning, but at the end, it gets really really good. Warning: Next chapter is sad. R&R (It's only gonna get better)

This morning Hermione had woken up earlier than usual. It was 5:40, and the sun hadn't even come up yet. She didn't sleep well last night at all. Hermione would sleep for a few hours then wake up, then sleep for a few hours more and wake up. She took upon her daily ritual, to first get out of bed and look to the window. It was snowing. The scenery looked so peaceful, it seemed as if nothing had been touched at all and the only thing moving was the snow, and the gentle December breeze that made the tree branches dance. After she observed the view, she would go to the bathroom, to wash up, dress, and do her hair. Hermione had washed up, dressed in her uniform, and now it was time to tame the unruly tresses she owned. She began to brush it, when abruptly the brush got stuck.

"No No NO! You will obey!" she commanded as she pulled the hardest she could. Out of aggravation and pain, she shouted.

Draco Malfoy was serenely sleeping in his bed. He was dreaming of well, what teenage boys dream of. As he was dreaming calmly, he was unexpectedly awoken by a piercing scream coming from Granger's room. He swiftly got up and ran to her rescue. He kicked in the door, and when he got there, he was slightly amused however definitely irritated to see a struggling Hermione pulling desperately at her hair.

"This is what you were yelling for?" asked Draco annoyed.

"Just help me!" asked an exasperated Hermione. Draco sighed.

"I thought you were being attacked by Death Eaters or something, not being attacked by you hair," explained Draco making a sour face.

"Pull!" yelled Hermione

"Merlin Granger! What do you feed this thing?" said Draco pulling at the brush.

Together they finally got the brush out, along with a huge portion of hair that left Hermione with a very big, and very noticeable bald spot that left Malfoy sneering.

"Oh my god, I can't go out like this!" said a panicking Granger.

"Granger, breathe, there's a spell for everything these days, just stand still" said Malfoy trying not to laugh. As Hermione calmed down, Malfoy muttered a simple spell that not only grew her hair but also made it into tamed russet-colored curls. "Oh," was all a speechless Hermione could make out.

"We have a meeting with the prefects this afternoon" said Malfoy after an uncomfortable amount of silence.

"Ah, yeah I know," acknowledged Hermione.

"Don't be late" was all he said before closing the door.

Hermione was standing there feeling the area where her bald spot had been when she had just realized Malfoy had run up to her bedroom in boxers. And he was hot, really hot. He had a tousled look in his hair that made him look like those male models you see on those huge billboards. Lately, she noticed Malfoy had been different. He didn't seem as cocky, as in previous years, and was more subdued. Nevertheless, he was still arrogant at times. And the thought that he actually came up to her room because he thought she was being attached was strangely attractive. The old Malfoy would of come up stairs to shut her up. And with the bald spot incident he would have probably taken pictures, and if he were feeling extra special he would write a song about it.

She looked at the clock: 6:17. It was going to be a long day.

Today is going to be a long day Malfoy thought while rubbing his neck. He tried to go over the events that just happened. "Hermione, without that bear on her head she called hair, looks quite striking. Actually, she doesn't seem as annoying as before. He thought to himself. No, she is still annoying. Too bad she isn't into guys. "A really long day," he mumbled to himself.

"As you know, Dumbledore has an idea for a Christmas ball for fifth through seven years" explained Draco.

"He has given us two weeks till Christmas and we want this to be the best Hogwarts ball ever. The details will be hung up after the meeting in the Great Hall. We will see you next week" finished Hermione.

Dumbledore had this idea of having a Christmas Ball for upperclassmen. It was supposed to be extravagant, and to keep the students minds off the dark times, and Voldemort's growing power. Everyone agreed of course and thought it was a great idea. Originally, you were supposed to being a date from another house, to support inter-house unity, but almost everyone voted no for that idea.

After the meeting, Hermione headed straight towards the Head dormitories. She met a platinum-blond headed boy staring intensely into the fireplace.

"Malfoy?" she interrupted. He abruptly turned around to see an inquisitive and concerned Hermione looking at him. "Granger" he said softly.

"Are you okay?" asked Hermione.

"Yeah" Draco said absent-mindedly.

"I just wanted to thank you, for this morning," she explained. There was silence.

"Are you sure that you're okay?" she asked again.

"I'm fine Granger! It's none of your business!"

"I'm sorry if I just wanted to help!"

"Well don't!"

"Why did you kiss me?"

Draco immediately fell quiet. She asked again.

"Why did you kiss me?" asked Hermione walking in front of the fireplace, so that she was facing him.

"I don't know," headmitted "It's not like it even mattered" He looked down.

"What are you going on about?" asked a confused Hermione "I just wanted to see if I can help!"

"You can stop playing around Granger, I know you don't like guys and that you're a lesbian. The facts are against you."

"I'm what!" Hermione laughed. "Are you serious?"

"Wait, you're not?" asked a perplexed Draco.

"No!" She sighed "Look, Just because I didn't kiss you back, doesn't mean I don't like guys. I just don't feel you should just do that out of the blue. I think a kiss should be a special mutual one."

There was silence.

"Well, you couldn't help me, because you don't know me at all" started Draco.

"I think I know you pretty well!" she began "You're the prat that teased me about my bloodline for seven bloody years. In fact, I think I know you better that you know me!"

"Really?" said Draco with a sarcastic tone. "Did you know that I knew that you have that beauty mark on your right elbow? Did you know that I knew that you always raise your chin stubbornly when you knew you were right? No, you didn't" he finished.

"Those are all physical things" finished Hermione.

"You want to know me?" Draco walked over and spilled the contents of the glass bowl onto the floor. He put his wand to his head and silvery mist started to flow from the wand into the bowl. He was making a peniseve. His eyes turned a stony gray."There's your change to know me." He said as he pointed to the bowl. He held out his hand, waiting for Hermione to take it, and she did. And so they began to take their journey into his memories.


	4. Confronted Feelings and Interruptions

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, J.K Rowling does.

A/n: This may be my favorite chapter. R&R Enjoy

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXPENISEVEXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_A young Draco about five years old in the cold dark castle he called Malfoy Manor with his father, _

"_Father, why do you say mudbloods so bad?"_

"_You will not understand until I show you. Come along."_

_There was a flash_. _There is_ _Draco is in the park with his father looking upon a muggle family. There is a father pushing the little girl with blonde hair and green eyes on the swing, and the mother looking upon them with a smile. _

"_I do not understand father," questioned Draco._

"_Muggles are inferior Draco, they are not needed on this earth. If you ask me they plague the earth and make it lesser than what it should be. Soon the Dark Lord will rise, and we will no longer have to worry about them any longer. _

_The father stopped swinging the little girl and pointed at Draco's father. Lucius knew they had been spotted and put Draco behind him. He pulled out his wand and said the killing curse, murdering the mother and the father. The last words Draco heard before apparating were "Mommy? Daddy? Wake up! Please!" _

_It's two years later. A seven-year-old Draco wakes up from his bedroom with a smile on his face. He runs down to his mother who was eating breakfast at the huge dining room table. _

"_Good morning Draco" said Narcissa. _

"_Good morning, Mother, do you know what day it is?"_

"_No, what is it?" Draco's smiled faded quickly._

"_It's... It's my birthday mother." Narcissa looked up at Draco's disappointed face. _

"_Is it? Hmm." She replied and returned to her dinner. _

_It's a year later. "You will get it right!" his father shouted, "Do it again" _

_Draco tried to do ride a broom, but he could not get it to hover. Lucius slammed Draco to the cold stonewall. "You are a disgrace to the Malfoy name!" he began "Go to you're quarters, NOW" Hermione squeezed Draco hand. She could almost feel the pain that was being inflicted on Draco. Narcissa must have heard the racket because she ran outside, and saw Draco running inside. "Don't you think you're being hard on the boy?" she asked. "Narcissa this is none of your concern!" "He's my son too!" The next thing Draco heard was Narcissa's screams coming from his room. The young Draco tried to drown the sounds by putting his head under his pillow. A tear fell from Hermione's eye. _

_It was few months later. Draco is at a ball and meets a pug-faced black haired girl. _

"_Hi, I'm Pansy" she began "What's your name?"_

"_Draco" he replied with look on his faced that said he though she must have been the most hideous thing in the world. _

"_We are going to get married when we grow up!" she said excitedly as she attached to Draco's arm. _

"_We are?" asked a disgusted Draco_

"_Yup, so I say that we start kissing now!" She began to pucker her lips, so much that it made her look like a fish. Hermione looked down at her feet, she really didn't want to see this. But then she realized Young Draco took an apple from a display, and Pansy thought she was actually kissing him. Draco quickly put the apple behind his back before she opened her eyes. "That was the best kiss ever" she replied. _

_There was other multiple flashes. Memories of going to Hogwarts, being rejected by Harry, being slapped by Hermione, singing "Weasly is our king", kissing Hermione, helping Hermione with the brush incident, all up to the part where he was staring intensely at the fireplace. _

_Draco was walking into the common room where he saw an envelope with the Malfoy emblem on it. He walked towards the letter and opened it. It read:_

_Draco,_

_It will soon be your eighteen birthday, and time to meet the Dark Lord for the Marking ritual. I will be visiting you soon to discuss details. _

_Lucuis Malfoy _

_After came memories of the argument they had and the beginning of the journey of the pensieve. Flash._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXPENISEVEXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hermione looked into the entrancing gray eyes of the young man standing next to her. She was not scared but entranced. She liked him, maybe even more. She scolded herself saying that you shouldn't fall for someone because their past, but now she understood him. Why he always teased her, his hate for Harry, he was always striving for his father's approval. And now, she knew his secret; he was to become a Death Eater. One side told her to not fall for a future Death Eater. The other said follow your heart.

"I never knew" she began "I was wrong," she admitted. Draco just looked at her. "Why didn't you ever tell anybody?"

"No one ever asked," he answered. "Good night, Granger" he finished as he headed towards his room.

"Malfoy" she called after him,

"Malfoy!" he kept walking.

"Draco!" He stopped and turned around.

When he turned around, he was met by Grangers lips. After a while, he finally kissed her back. He felt warm, and secure, something he hadn't felt ever. As for her, she had this feeling in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't tell if it was fireworks, or if she had to pee. She felt as if they were a perfect fit. After they pulled apart, she smiled. Her moment of serenity were soon interrupted. An icy drawl that resembled Draco's had said,

"If I knew you would have been busy I would of come later Draco…"


	5. Torture and Trust

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, J.K. Rowling does.

A/n: Just enjoy, not much humor in this one. I find it hard to put comedy in when someone's being tortured. Sorry for the mistakes in previous chapters, it's just that my Microsoft Word must be retarded or something, because it doesn't do a very good job at correcting my mistakes. You're probably thinking, she apologizes now? I'm not sure if you castCruciatus if there really is a red light, but that's how it is in my head. So DEAL! Any who, welcome to Chapter Five… R&R.

Draco froze dead. A tall pale man, with black robes, a cane and hair that went down to his waist stood in the portrait entrance. His father had just caught him with Hermione. He was in some deep shit.

"Messing with the mudblood I see. Draco, I thought you were better than that," he mocked. Hermione gave Lucius a shocked but abhorrent look at the same time. Now she knew where Draco got his charm. Draco looked at Hermione.

"Hermione, I need you to go somewhere safe," he looked at her intently "Now." He finished firmly. Hermione looked at him, then at his father. She nodded, and left for her room. After all, she did need to be close by, just in case he was hurt. As soon as Lucius thought Hermione was gone he gave Draco a very dangerous look. He swiftly took his wand from his cane and cast a silencing charm on the common room. Draco slowly took out his wand from his robes, but Lucuis simply took it away with an "_Expelliarmus_"

"The Dark Lord will not be pleased," said Lucius terrifyingly slow. He came into the common room, "Do what you want with the girl, then leave her," he ordered.

"I'm not getting the Dark Mark," replied Draco "so there's no need to "discuss details" and I'm not leaving Hermione," he continued "Not much to discuss really, a lunatic in a robe, gives you a tattoo on your arm. Now, I think you should leave" Draco said as he pointed to the exit.

"Do you think I care what you think?" Lucius came closer "You will get the Dark Mark, whether or not you like it. It is expected of you."

"You're a hypocrite," Draco said growing angrier. A smirk grew on Lucius' face.

"A hypocrite?" he mocked "I'm not the Death Eater who will kill mudbloods, yet kiss them in deserted common rooms."

"I'm not a Death Eater," he continued "You've always told me Malfoy's were leaders, superior to anyone, and yet you would do absolutely anything for the old bat, like a slave.

"Why you little-"

"Tell me father, what do you get out of it? Is it because of power? Or is it because you're a coward?

When Hermione got to her room, she slowly closed the door and turned the locks. She was in her room seriously distressed. He prayed to Merlin that his father wasn't giving Draco a hard time. She figured his father was bad, but when she looked in the pensieve, she found the true potential of Lucius Malfoy. She sat on her bed with her arms folded on her lap deeply listening for any sounds. She thought to herself, he probably put up a silencing charm. So she sat in the silence, waiting for a clue, any clue.

Draco was up to a wall with a wand in the arc of under his chin.

"Draco, you know very well that you do not want to get on my bad side, I'd hate for something unfortunate to happen to you," he drawled.

"Do you now? Well, guess what Lucius?" Draco had never called him that, he had always been addressed "Father". "I'd hate for you to get captured and accused with all the murders you've committed, but we all can't get what we want do we?" replied Draco sarcasm dripping with every word.

Lucuis narrowed his stormy gray eyes and cast the bright red light that was the Cruciatus curse on his son and cruelly smiled at the writhing figure at his feet.

"You will become a Death Eater, Draco," he said "Besides you have no where to go, if you betray the Dark Lord, you'll die, and if you go to the side of the light, well you know very well they wont believe you with your background"

The pain was inconceivable; it was pulsing, living breathing fire flowing through his veins. He couldn't hear, think, or breathe. He wanted it to end. Draco wanted to die, just to make the pain stop.

Hermione was looking for any signs, when she saw a bright red light coming from the common room through the crack of her door. The kind of bright red light that made Hermione's blood freeze. It could only mean Cruciatus curse. She started to panic. She couldn't run down and get Draco and her both killed. She knew Lucius was a very dangerous man and that he was capable of anything. Also, Draco told her to stay put. For some strange reason, she trusted him. So she needed to go to the only man she knew could help her. So she went to her owl, Geniseve and took the bit of parchment from her desk and began to write. Hermione soon finished writing on the parchment and sent Geniseve through evening sky. As she watched her take off, she walked toward her door and slowly turned the locks and opened the door.

"I think you've had enough," Lucius said as he pointed his wand to Draco "_Finite Incantantum _"

Almost immediately Draco stopped to shake violently. Lucuis sat in one of the brown couches of the common room as he watched at his son get up on his two feet and lean against the wall. "I do not know where you learned to talk back to me but I do not like it, Draco. This change in your behavior can get you seriously… injured." He said menacingly.

"Is that a threat?" asked Draco. Lucius just eyed him in a way that showed revulsion.

"Nothing has changed I see, Oh, I feel right at home. After, all I have been receiving threats from you all my life," scorned Draco weakly.

"Honestly Draco, a MUDBLOOD? Have I taught you nothing?" Draco thought. He looked at his father with pure hatred.

"No"

"Well, there is no use for you," explained Lucius as he got up from the sofa "Good bye Draco," he said as he drew his wand. "Your mother will miss you. Any last words?"

Draco swallowed. "See you in hell"

"_Avada Ke-"_

A/n: Oh anothercliffhanger. I'm sorry but they're just so fun. Don't worry though; I'll be posting these up about once a day. I sort of like Draco in this chapter, he may facing death, but he still as cocky as hell. Maybe it's his father. Sorta hot. So…. Does Draco die? Who did Hermione write the letter to? What comes before? The chicken or the egg? Find out next chapter.


	6. Planning and Snowfalls

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, J.K Rowling does.

A/n: This was a hard chapter to write, but it was fun. I really have nothing to say but, R&R and ENJOY!

"_Avada Ke_-"

"That's not a very wise thing to do Lucius," said a silky refined voice coming from the portrait door.

Hermione was in a dilemma, she either run down stairs like an idiot, and try to save Malfoy's arse, or she can stay there in the privacy and safety of her dorm and let Snape deal with it. Yes, ProfessorSnape.She figured since Snape was believed to be a Death Eater, Lucius would probably trust him. She first thought of Dumbledore, but Lucius and him aren't on very friendly terms. Lucius could of done something that would have him called "Peaches" to some guy named Bubba in Azkaban. She thought to herself, trying to cam her nerves down…

_The red light could of meant anything anyways_

_Like what? It's not like there's a freggin traffic light in the middle of the common room_

_It could be the fire, reflecting on something._

_Oh yeah? Like what detective?_

_It could be the fireplace, a stain glass window, a harmless charm…_

…_the Crutacious curse…_

_Stop it!_

_Think logically Hermione! Draco could be bleeding to death at this moment! _

_He said to go somewhere safe!_

_Since when do you listen to him? Besides, he didn't say you had to STAY somewhere safe… _

"Severus, how pleasant of you to join us" Lucius said. Snape took out his wand. "Let the boy go," he warned. Lucuis did nothing. Snape began, "Do you really think it is wise to murder your son, in his school at that, with witnesses?" He continued, "Now Lucuis, I would have presumed you were much smarter than that," he said. Lucuis came close to his son. "We will deal with this later," he said aggravated "I'd hate for something bad to happen to your girlfriend" he finished with distaste. And with that, the tall figure that is Draco's father swiftly turned around, with his black robes moving about freely behind him. Draco slumped onto the wall clutching his neck. "Thanks" he replied. "Hmm," was his reply, and right before Snape stepped out of the portrait hole, he said, "Do me a favor, Mr. Malfoy, try staying alive" and he was gone.

"Are you okay?" said a voice from the stairway looking at a weak Draco. "Oh my gosh, what did he do to you? She said as she came up to him and put her hands on his cheeks. "Nothing he hasn't said before" he replied honestly. She hugged him, and felt warmness that none of her friends could give her.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"Good night"

"Good night"

Today was the big day. The day that they would start getting decorations for the lavish Christmas ball that was only 3 days away. Hermione wouldn't be alone though; She got most of the prefects, volunteers and even Ron and Harry had offered to help, even though Harry had to bribe Ron with a few sickles and a couple of chocolate frogs. Ron was always was a sucker for money and food. She just hoped they and Draco would get along. See, they had to go to Hogmeade to get a few supplies.

It had been almost a week since they got busted, and Draco had that brush with his father (He had told her that Lucius warned him to clean up his act, of course, Hermione didn't buy it but she didn't push it) and things were still a little shaky. Outside of their dormitories, they had just cold civility towards one another. Inside well, they were acting like two horny teenagers. Oh wait, they were. Any who, they did everything people in relationships do, it just wasn't official. It was a week and Hermione wanted answers.

This morning Hermione had a bounce in her step. Today she wore a white sweater with a red kiss on it, blue jeans and red sneakers. She met a Draco sitting in the common room reading the Daily Prophet.

"Good morning" she said cheerfully.

"Good morning" Draco replied with a smile that seems only reserved for her.

"Are you going to breakfast?" asked Hermione as she stood behind his with her arms around his neck.

"I'll be down don't worry" he responded

"Ok, later" she said and was gone.

As Draco walked in the Great Hall he saw Hermione and her friends cheerfully laughing. He envied her. She actually had a support group, friends: he had two gorillas, and a parasite that just doesn't know when to let go. He had a miserable, lonely, and Voldemort-plague-ridden life, and she had this bright, sociable and genial life. He wondered how in hell did they end up together. If she even considered them together.

"Hey Malfoy" said Crabbe as he and Goyle wrestled for the last muffin.

Pansy just smiled and scooted a little closer.

"It seems forever since we've talked to you," observed Pansy the parasite.

"That's because I've been avoiding you" he retorted. She seemed to be taken back.

"Oh," she said, "Well, whom are you taking to the Christmas Ball?"

"Not you" Draco said frankly.

"Why not? Who else is there? It seems everyone has a date already, even Crabbe and Goyle!"

"Sod off, Pansy" he snapped. These idiots always put him in a foul mood.

After breakfast every one going to Hogmeade, lined up. He decided he would sit with Granger, but that would mean sitting with The-Boy-Who-Just-Wont-Die and Weasel.

"See you later guys, duty awaits" Ginny said as she gave Harry a quick kiss.

"Bye Ginny" said Ron

As Ron and Harry began there hourly argue about which Quidditch team is the best, and Hermione began to read "Hogwarts: A History" for may have been 20th time this year, just as the carriage started, an unexpected visitor sat next to Hermione.

"Malfoy?" Hermione said, "What are you doing?"

"Sitting," he replied with a sly smirk

Harry and Ron just looked at him with pure resentment.

"Potter, Weasly" he said as he nodded.

"Why are you here Malfoy?" said Ron heatedly

"Head business" said Draco plainly.

He would of said his usual smart-ass remark but he decided he better cool it, because if he did, he could of easily ended up yelping in pain like a dog that has worms and is trying to get rid of the itch by dragging his butt on the carpet in little circles. Potter + Weasly + Stuck in a carriage + Pissing them off Pain. It was as simple as that.

Hermione prayed to herself, that Malfoy would not be a wanker. She kept it to herself, that they had no Head business, and maybe he just wanted to sit with her. "How sweet" she thought to herself. The down side? They couldn't talk about anything with Harry and Ron staring them down like hawks.

"How many times have you read that book woman?" he said " I'm getting car sickness just looking at you." Hermione just rolled her eyes and kept reading. "I guess you can't always get what you want" though Hermione.

"You should leave," Harry finally said after a moment of silence.

"You mean jump out of a moving carriage? Are you mad?" said Draco.

"If we're lucky, he won't survive," Ron replied angrily. Draco snorted as he mumbled something to himself. Immediately Ron lunged at him.

"Ronald!" Hermione yelled as she held him back.

"What! Just because he's Head Boy, and he's sitting here you don't expect us to be immediately friendly to him?"

"I don't, but you don't have be at each others throats every five minutes." explained Hermione.

Harry began to eye them suspiciously. Then the carriage stopped.

"We're here" Hermione said with relief, "Thank Merlin" she said to herself.

Okay, and Harry and Ron, you will get the Chocolate Mistletoes from Zonko's. Malfoy will come with me to the Three Broomsticks, to order the butterbeer. Be at this spot at 3:00. We should have about two hours to ourselves before we leave. Good luck.

Hermione and Draco had just come from The Three Broomsticks, after having a few butterbeers themselves. Now they were just walking, listening to the Christmas carolers.

"What do you see in them?"

"See in who?"

"Potter and Weasly, they're-" he looked for a choice of words that wouldn't offend her, "very bad-tempered"

Hermione laughed, "Bad-tempered? Tell me you don't expect them to like you, after all you did make their life hell for seven years," she continued, "And this is coming from the Prince of all Pricks?" Draco laid his hand on his heart,

"Ow, You may me maimed me for life…"

"Hardy Har Har" Hermione pretended to laugh.

There was silence. "What would you call, us?" Hermione asked.

Draco thought, "I was hoping a couple" he said uncertainly.

Hermione smiled. "Me too"

As their lips met, the first snowflake danced gracefully to the ground, making it the first snowfall of the year.


	7. Festering Hellhole

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, J.K. Rowling does. If I did, I would have much more money than I do now. **

A/n: Last chapter I mentioned something about Peaches and Bubba, some of you probably didn't get it, but that's because that was a 'lil inside joke, for my enjoyment. Tehe. Reason why I have not been updating: I was in New York / Laziness / Writer's block. There ya have it. Oh and P.S- I love the phrase Festering Hellhole for some odd reason. Fluff warning Enjoy and R&R.

How it came to be this way was a mystery. One minute they can't stand each other, the next, they're snogging between homework essays. However how it happened, or when it happened didn't matter to them, all it mattered was that now, they were happier than any other years they have been at Hogwarts.

Draco didn't think he could care about someone like this ever. He sort of thought it would be a "Wham-Bam-Thank you ma'am" kind of thing, but he knew Hermione wasn't like that. Draco mentally sighed. His father, Voldemort, and basically the whole Death Eater society would be seriously pissed belong belief. Like he said in a previous chapter, he was in some DEEP shit.

It was worth it.

"Ya know, now that we're together, I hope you know that I absolutely refuse to be another notch on your bedpost" said Hermione in the most serious voice she could. She was still a little tipsy from The Three Broomsticks.

"Who said anything about bedposts and notches?" replied Draco confused. Hermione just laughed and looked at her watch, 2:30 pm.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy, we have- AHH!" shouted Hermione. Draco had just thrown a snowball dead center of her forehead. She wiped it off and saw Draco sniggering.

"Compliments of Quidditch" he said while flexing his muscles.

"Quidditch or not, you're still dead" as she warned as she formed a snowball.

Smash. It landed right in the middle of his face. Hermione just warmly laughed. She thought it sounded like those cartoons or old war movies where when a bomb drops, and there's this whistle sound then silence, and then BOOM.

"Compliments of the Library" she replied slyly. "All that book carrying really makes you strong." Draco bent down to make a snowball, when he looked up she was gone.

"Hermione?" he said worried. "AHHH! Bloody Bludgering HELL!" he started while jumping trying to get to snow out of his shirt. Hermione was laughing hysterically behind him. Seeing him jump around like a bunny on cocaine was totally worth it. "Must be quicker that," she managed to chuckle. She looked at her watch, 2:45.

"C'mon we better head back," she said taking his hand.

"That, was not funny" Draco said sourly as he shook the remainder of the snow out of his pant leg.

"Was to me," she said smiling "Now c'mon I have to meet Ginny to get our dresses"

"Hermione?" said a familiar voice coming from the corner. It was Pothead and Weaselbee. Why did they have to ruin everything?

"Hey guys, did you get the Chocolate Mistletoes?" she said cheerfully, quickly taking her hand from Draco's.

"Yeah," Ron replied, "Why were holding Malfoy's hand?" Hermione looked stunned. "Err… you see um" Draco turned on his cold demeanor.

"She wasn't holding my hand Weasly," he snapped "Better shut that festering hellhole you call a mouth"

"Better watch it Malfoy, or something unfortunate will happen to you" Harry stated while reaching for his wand in his pocket. Malfoy smirked.

"Is that supposed to be a threat? That's quite pathetic if you asked me. No matter, talk to you later Granger" he said fake hostility. As Harry and Ron gave Malfoy one more hateful look, they took Hermione away. She was only able to mouth two words.

"Thank You"

Draco sighed. He had a feeling that was going to happen quite often.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"What's the real reason you were holding his hand?" asked Ron

"I wasn't holding his hand," fibbed Hermione sweating slightly. Why did they always have to be on her case? She fought the urge to say, "Mind your own damn business you hobo!" Man, Draco was rubbing off on her.

"Then, why are you sweating when its this cold outside?" asked Harry suspiciously.

Just then, the youngest Weasly came out from one of the stores. She always had the perfect timing.

"Hermione!" she shouted "Harry, Ron!"

"Ginny!" Hermione said secretly thanking Merlin.

"Ready to go?" Ginny asked excitedly.

"Yeah, after everyone reports in," Hermione said "Look, they're here now"

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Okay everyone, seems like everything's in order, see you at Hogwarts" Hermione confirmed with a smile," "Let's go Ginny"

"So…" she said mischievously "Whom are you taking to the ball?" she asked.

"Err… I don't know yet" she replied honestly. Malfoy and she may be dating, but they never confirmed they would go to the ball together.

"You can't go by yourself!" she said excitedly. "I can hook you up with some cute Ravenclaw boys if you want…" she said teasingly. Hermione laughed,

"No, I'm fine, really" she declined. Ginny just sighed disappointed. "Same ol' Hermione" she mumbled to herself.

"What was that supposed to mean?" said Hermione with irritation. "Look we're here!" said Ginny quickly trying to change the subject.

The billboard read "Madam Roselle's House of Style". "Well, c'mon!" Ginny said grabbing Hermione' hand. When they walked in the place, they was disappointed. They had the most outrageous selection of clothes Hermione had ever seen. It seemed it would be a place Rupaul or Dennis Rodman would wear if they were wizards.

"Err… Ginny, where did you get this place from?" Hermione said looking at the orange and green dress with the aliens on it that said, "Take me to your _stove_? Let me see that!"

"From Luna, she said that this place had the best clothes she'd ever seen," she said annoyed.

"Ginny, you've seen her dress! Need I say more?" Hermione explained.

Just then a tall lady came up to them. She was very tall, had that big pageant kind of hair with a weird accent and a tight dress.

"Velcome to Madame Roselle's House of Style," she began "Vou must be from zee Hogwots" she said talking to Ginny. "I have a special collection for vou," she said. "Vollow me" she finished.

She then led them into a hall, with only one door. "Don't tell me everything is in that one room," Ginny said, "That would be cramped" Hermione nodded.

"Oh no," the lady said. "Veach door, leads to a different vroom, with a different door. "Vere we are" she said as she opened the door. "Vie zee way, I am Zelga"

It was a room painted white. With isles and isles of clothes that seemed to go on to forever. Unlike the showroom, it had beautiful variety of clothes that seemed just to be Hermione's type. She wanted something Christmas-y, but something she can wear on any special occasion. Something that was bright, but elegant. At that moment, she saw the perfect dress. She was going to knock Draco dead.

"Hermione!" Ginny said gasping, "That's beautiful, are you going to buy it?" Hermione looked at the price tag, a little pricey. "Zelga? Can I get this in a size 5?"

**A/n: Next chapter is the Hogwarts BALL! WOOOOOOOOOT. Not much funnies in this one, but that's because its getting harder and harder. In future chappie-roos, there will be more drama and less humor. That's just a pre-warning. : D Talk to you next chapter. **


	8. Ostendo Subsisto

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter™.

A/n: Making Ron a dork in this chappie is fun, I must say… This is one of my longer chapters, sorry I haven't been writing, I've just been trying to write the perfect chapter, and this is close enough. Fun to write, but very long :D Enjoy R&R

Ostendo Subsisto: Show stopper (Or so the translator says)

The ball was at 8:00. It was already 7:45 and everyone was already heading down to the Great Hall. Everyone was heading down except for Hermione.

"See you in the Great Hall, Ginny!" Hermione said racing down the Gryffindor girl dormitory stairs. "Thanks!" she shouted before exiting. Ginny had helped her do her make-up, and her hair. And she was looking quite exquisite. Just imagine how she'll be when she put on her dress. She hastily said the password to the portrait that guarded the Head dorm. The only problem, the portrait was completely ignoring her. Who was the idiot who painted this fool?

"Lovely night isn't it?" the portrait said brushing her hair.

"_Ostendo subsisto_"

"Yes," the portrait said dreamily "I heard you're having some sort of ball, I wasn't invited," she said bitterly.

"OSTENDO SUBSISTO" she said louder.

"Why aren't you dressed yet? Are you in a younger year?" she asked. Hermione snapped.

"NO, _OSTENDO SUBSISTO_, NOW OPEN UP NOW!" Hermione shouted.

The portrait looked offended.

"No need to be so rude, password?"

"_Ostendo subsisto_" Hermione said frustratingly rubbing her temples.

"Go on" the portrait finally said swinging open.

When she got in, Draco stepped out of his room. She never went in there before; she wondered how it was like.

"Granger!" he said hurriedly. "I've been waiting for you for forever!" Immediately Hermione turned her face from him. She didn't want him to see her until the ball.

"Hermione? Why are you - never mind, would you like to go with me, to the ball?" he asked, "And don't say no because of Potter and Weasly because if you do..."

"Close your eyes," she replied.

"What are you going on about?" he protested.

"Just do it?" she asked simply. So he did.

"Don't do anything funny, or else you won't be going to the ball, not without any injuries anyways," he warned "I may be you're boyfriend, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be your bitch"

"Threatening you're girlfriend, I'm very disappointed in you," she said teasingly. "Oh and yes" she said and she kissed him.

"Wait, before you go, I want to tell you something important," he said.

"What?"

"You need to tell Weasly and Potter… about us" Hermione swallowed.

"W-what?" she stuttered.

"You heard me, Gr-Hermione, oh and don't stammer, it's not fitting" he said firmly. He still had the habit of calling her Granger instead of Hermione.

"See you at the ball" he finished as he walked out of the Portrait Hall. She needed to work this out, and the same time, get dressed.

_I CANNOT TELL THEM! _

_Why the bloody hell not?_

_They would freak out, I can't do that to them_

_No shit Sherlock…Look, they're going to be mad whether you tell them or not... I mean who would they like to hear it from, you or gossip freaks like Lavender and Parvati?_

_I know you're right,_

_Then listen to me!_

…_I just can't_

_You can either tell Harry and Ron or lose Draco_

_I hate you…_

_Don't flatter yourself._

8:15 – "Pansy, leave me alone," he said blankly as he drank his wine. Why she couldn't just fall in a ditch and die? With her complaining and whining she was beginning to sound like a pregnant woman with some serious hormonal issues. He was happy he didn't sleep with her and if she got pregnant, with her genes, that baby would be a monstrosity.

"Fine, Draco, I've been thinking of doing this for along time," Pansy began "I'm dumping you" she said with her nose in the air "Good bye, Malfoy" As she walked away in her red dress that was WAY to short for a ball, he shouted. "We were never together!" he yelled. Everyone looked at him with faces saying "What the hell?" He just ignored him. "Delusional…" he mumbled.

Just then a stunning young lady appeared through the door. It was Hermione. She wore a silver strapless dress, and her hair in an elegant up-do that had graceful curls hugging her face. Hermione was dressed in black diamonds, from her chandelier earrings, to her turtleneck necklace. She was the showstopper.

"Please don't trip… 

_Please don't trip…_

Please don't trip… 

_Please don't trip…"_

She sighed a sigh of relief, as she stepped into the Great Hall, she gave a chaste wink to Draco. Draco smiled and walked over to her. She looked very shaggable.

"You look – "

"Hermione!" yelled someone across the hall.

Dammit, why couldn't they join Pansy! They could have an annoying little twit party.

"Wow, Hermione you look great," said the irritating prick with dorko glasses.

"Thanks," Hermione said cheerfully

"Ah…" drooled Ron the red haired donkey.

"Uhh, Ron?" Hermione began "You're beginning to drool…"

Ron looked like those messed up kids, at that muggle sport. What was it? Was it chasehall? No… lasecall? BASEBALL! Messed up or not, he better keep his deprived, and needy hands away from Hermione. OR ELSE he would beat the bloody ugly off of him. Yes, he was the jealous type, what gave you THAT idea?

Just then, Lavender Brown came over and slapped the back of his head. "Huh?" Ron said as he snapped out of it. "OH! You look excellent Hermione" wiping the saliva from his mouth with the back of his hand and rubbing the place he had been hit. Hermione looked at him with a hint of disgust.

_Haha…You porch monkey… _

Just then Dumbledore rose from his seat. He was wearing red robes; he sort of looked like a skinny, crack head version of that Santa guy. Draco smirked at this thought.

"Welcome everyone to this year's Annual Christmas ball!

I would first thank the people who made this place look this spectacular. Miss Hermione Granger, Mr. Draco Malfoy, Head Boy and Girl, and the rest of the student body, and volunteers. This year, the staff and I want to do something new" He said looking over his half-moon spectacles, "Ballroom dancing," I know, it's a ball, and when you danced, it's considered, ballroom dancing, but this style is different. It's called the "waltz".

Draco choked on his wine. Hermione looked delighted. Harry looked befuddled. Ron looked like he was hungry.

Malfoys did not dance. He was always taught it was a sign of weakness. That, and he couldn't dance for a can of tuna. He looked over to Hermione. She was smiling big as ever. This was not good. He was right; Dumbledore _is_ trying to crap on his already crappy life.

"Everyone should take part, it's a way of showing unity," he said with a smile. "And for those can't dance, Good luck" he finished.

At that moment, Draco wanted to take spear and drive it through the crazy man's head. Maybe this guy _was _on something…

"Harry, I'm going to dance with Malfoy," she said seriously. Harry laughed.

"Funny one, Hermione" he chuckled "About every guy wants to dance with you, and you choose Malfoy?

"We've become close," she explained, trying to find the right words. Harry's bright expressions turned serious.

"How close?"

"Close enough to dance with" she said.

"Oh, so just friends?" asked Harry.

Hermione swallowed. "Yes," she lied "friends" She kept thinking to herself.

Friends? Oh, so I guess you call snogging each time your alone, friends? I'm taking baby steps!  
Baby steps? You call this baby steps? I call it tripping falling on your face and breaking all your teeth. Bad move Hermione, you'll live to regret it… 

"We're just friends," assured Hermione

"Did he slip anything into your food?" Harry asked distrustfully.

"No" she started "I'm not expecting you to approve, and he did torture us for six years, but he's ok when you get to know him," she promised.

"I don't approve, but, if you're just friends, I guess I can live with it. Thanks for telling me," he said. "I hope you don't except me to be nice to him," he said with a face of disgust.

"No, not at all…" replied Hermione.

"Good," he responded, "You owe me a dance later on" he said with a small smile. She could tell he was a little uncomfortable with the situation.

"Malfoy!" she said as she waved and walked towards him. "Hey, you look very handsome" she said with a smile. Yes indeed, so good she would have to beat other girls off of him with a bat.

"May I have this dance?" she asked with a mock curtsy.

"Yes, when Snape washes his hair" he answered.

"Why must you always be party pooper?" she asked

"A party what?" he asked confused.

"Just dance with me!" ordered Hermione getting aggravated.

"Not snowball's chance in hell," he simply stated. Hermione's pout turned into a grin.

"You can't dance, can you?" she asked. Draco did not make a reply, just sipped his wine looking anywhere but at her.

"Well I can teach you if you want," she asked. No reply.

"You scared?" she ridiculed.

"I am not scared"

"Then dance"

"On one condition"

Hermione thought. She prayed that it wouldn't be about her telling Harry and Ron.

"Fine"

"Only if that conversation, between you and Potter was about our relationship"

"It was… but I twisted the truth a bit so the sting wont hurt as much," she said. He eyed her suspiciously.

"How much twist?"

"I told him you and I were just friends" she said hurriedly. Draco eyes turned stone cold gray. Just like that, he stormed out of the Great Hall.

A/n: Ooooooooh...Why did Draco storm out like that? will Hermione go after him? Will her friends ever find out? Find out next chapter.


	9. Phobias and Dealing

A/n: At first I didn't know where I got the term "Notch on your bedpost" from, but then I realized I got it from Fall out Boys "Sugar We're Goin Down" and the movie, "Down with Love" starring Renee Zelleweger. So, I guess I must of learned it subconsciously, which is cool. Just a random thought. Oh ya, as you can see, I sort of switched from Hermione's POV to Draco's. P.S- I love some of the lines in this chapter. **–**Gives pat on back- Err, if you're black, and you find some stuff offensive, don't be, because I'm black too.But I highly doubt you will find it offensive. Warning: This chapter is freakin' long. R&R Enjoy.

* * *

She wondered why he would just storm out of that conversation like that.

"_Now remember these words of advice, in this time of darkness," started Dumbledore._

She felt guilty, but at the same time not guilty. After all she didn't promise she would tell…

_"You must remember to stay on the path of light…"_

Hermione looked around her to see had looked around to see if anyone noticed Malfoy's unexpected exit. No one. Everyone's attention was on Dumbledore.

_"If you do, you will eventually find daylight again…"_

She came to a conclusion.

_"If you don't, you will wander…"_

He trusted her. And she violated his trust.

_"And end up in what may result in terrible consequences…"_

For someone who looked as pretty as she did now, she felt like crap.

_"As for now, let the feast begin!" Dumbledore concluded as he clapped his hands. When he did, food appeared to be everywhere. Ron had already begun to eat like he hadn't eaten in weeks._

She was going after him. No one seemed to notice her leaving. Except Harry and Ron.

* * *

Draco was walking speedily to the common room. He was pissed. Friends? Has she gone insane? A cruel voice in his head kept repeating the same thing over. What that voice was saying only fueled his anger. It was like throwing fire in a room drenched in gasoline.

Hermione met him in the common room kicking the side of the sofa.

"Draco?" Hermione choked out.

"Save it, Granger," he snapped.

"Why did you just leave like that?" asked Hermione.

He turned around to face her. His eyes were like raging pools of gray. They were the same color of a sea storm.

"I told you to tell them, Hermione!" he shouted.

"I'm sorry, ok? I don't think they're ready…" she said.

"Them or you?" he asked. Hermione just looked at the deep maroon colored rug. Draco walked closer to her.

"Why do you always let them control your life like that?" he began "You're like their slave of something, you never get the credit you deserve," he said.

"I am, not their slave!" she shouted almost on the verge of tears.

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Then why isn't you don't tell them, and don't give me that line of bull about how you don't think _they're_ ready!" he shouted. She remained silent and the voice in his head forced him to say what it had been repeating in his head for may be the thousandth time.

"Are you ashamed of me or something?" he asked. She looked up at him.

"No, never," she said quietly as she walked toward him. He backed away from her.

"I don't believe you," he said angrily.

"Don't act like you're the saint here, _Draco_!" she shouted, "Who have you told since we started this relationship?"

"No one," he said defiantly "But if someone have asked I would of told them and been frank, _Hermione_!"

"Absolute rubbish, Malfoy" she retorted.

"If you can't be independent for once, since you met those little prick heads, that this can't work," he said, "I don't want to have to hide Hermione, I didn't come into this to play Hide and go Seek"

"You're right," she replied simply.

"Then, why do I have to be the one telling you this?" he said, "If you knew, then you should of figured it out for your bloody self! God, Hermione I hate this. I hate sneaking around like convicts" Hermione just stared at him and walked closer to him. He didn't budge. She put his hands on his chest and looked into his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'll tell them tomorrow" she said, "You're absolutely right, we shouldn't be playing hide and go seek. Accept my apologies?"

Draco's features softened. "Yes" he finally said. Hermione gave him a quick kiss.

"What am I? Your brother?" he joked. Hermione laughed. Draco dipped her and gave her a very avid kiss.

"Better" he replied with a smug smile.

"C'mon Romeo" Hermione said pulling him through the portrait door "Time to hit the dance floor" she said.

* * *

"If I trip, fall and break my neck the medical bill goes to you," he said smugly as they reentered the Great Hall.

"Don't worry grandpa, you won't fall," she said smiling, "You have me as a partner"

"Well, well aren't we getting full of ourselves?" he taunted.

_Here we go again, those damn pigs she calls friends again._

"Hey, we were worried when we didn't see you" said the girl weasle.

_What was her name again? Goony? Where do these people get the names to name their kids? I mean Goony, Pansy, or Albus? Honestly?_

"Yeah, is anything wrong?" asked The-Boy-That's-Head-I-Want-On-A-Silver-Plate.

_Or plain dead would be nice,… but that's after he kills Voldemort… Then he can die._

"Where's Ron?" asked Hermione.

"I don't know, he went missing right before you came in the first time also," informed the girl Weasly.

_Oink Oink, Piggys…_

"Hello," said umpteenth boy Weasly.

_How many children do those people have? They must of shagged like rabbits… -Shudders-_

"I heard about you and Malfoy," Ron said with a sour face. "Have you gone mad! Malfoy? Are you that desperate for friends?"

_You've done it down, Pig Boy…_

Hermione looked irritated. "Yes, Malfoy and no I am not desperate for friends, Ronald!" she shouted. He decided it was his cue it come into the picture. Besides, they wouldn't dare do something stupid, not in front of Dumbledore.

"Well, well, well" Draco drawled, "Isn't it the Three Little Pigs?"

"You're calling Hermione a pig, and say you're friends? Ha! I told you he was no good!" said Ron, with a superior smile.

"Wipe that smile off you're filthy face, because I wasn't talking about Hermione" he snapped. Ron did just that.

"Sod off, Malfoy. The last thing we need you to do is soil the fun," said Harry. Draco just gave him a look that said, 'Die you disgusting rubbish!'"

"Malfoy, still reverting back to childish antics and name-calling?" said Hermione with a devious smile.

"Old habits are hard to break, what can I say?" replied Draco.

What the crap was going on? Where they actually flirting? Has the world gone mad?

"Talk to you later, Granger" he said with a smirk ready to turn around.

"Wait, you forgot a dance," Hermione said with a smile.

"Medical Bills," he whispered. Hermione ignored him and pulled him onto the dance floor.

* * *

"Harry?"

"Yeah Ron?"

"Something is not right here, I can feel it"

"Welcome to the club" he replied.

* * *

"Now put your hands-" Hermione started.

"I know where to put my hands" Draco interrupted.

"Good, just not on my breasts" she said as she started to lead.

"Not bad… for a beginner" she said after a few minutes with a grin that reflected Draco. The truth was that he was doing very well for a beginner. He had only tripped only a few times, of course hearing a few sniggers from Potter and Weasly. Also of course sending a death glare in return. Other beginners would of probably actually _had_ medical bills.

"I feel so proud…" he joked.

"Why?" she laughed "So you're a good dancer, don't go macho on me"

"As tempting as that sounds, no, it's because I'm rubbing off on you" he said with a smirk.

"That you are, senor Malfoy" she replied, "But that's not something to exactly so proud about" she said. He was about to reply with something smart-assy but he was interrupted but something, red, ugly and filthy. No, not a baboon's ass, Weasly. Close guess though.

"May I have this dance," Weasly asked. Draco wanted to say, "No, now get the hell out of my sight," but Hermione would probably have a fit.

Draco just nodded at Hermione and left for another glass of wine. She was looking incredibly gorgeous and he couldn't even spend five damn seconds alone with her without those rundown wankers interrupting all the time. He sighed to himself. Gryffindors suck.

* * *

Hermione had just put on her frog pajamas. The ball had been quite lovely actually, except when Neville vomited all over his dance partner. Must have been nerves. Poor Neville. She looked at her reflection. She realized she had her first fight with Draco. Definitely not their FIRST fight, but first fight as a couple. She just hoped they went as quickly as they came. She was going to have to tell Harry and Ron. She hoped _she_ was ready. She turned off her lamp and went to bed.

Draco was lying in bed. This ball sucked big time. Except whenLongbottom blew chunks on his dancing partner. It stunk, but it was very entertaining_. "He won't be gettinglaid soon_ ," thought Draco. Hermione better tell Potter and Weasly, because he refuses to be hiding around like some frenzied mentally disabled kid on a sugar trip. He blew out his candle and went to sleep.

* * *

"Good morning guys" Hermione greeted as she sat down.

"Hey," Harry welcomed. Ron just waved his hand.

"I need to talk to you… in err… private tonight."

"Sounds serious, you okay?" asked Harry.

"Yeah," Hermione replied with a false smile.

* * *

"Today, we will be attempting to make "The Adversus" potion. This potion is a personality-altering potion. It will turn anyone into the complete opposites of their personality. It lasts for about five minutes. Let's hope your other sides aren't too mind-numbingly stupid, or obnoxious. If this potion goes wrong, it won't be terribly serious; you will have an itch similar to chickenpox for a few hours. The ingredients are on your desks and on pg. 690. For partners, pick anybody," ordered Snape.

"Guess it's me and you Malfoy" said Hermione starting to chop the bat wings.

"Yes, indeed" he began "So what do you think your other personality will be like?"

Hermione thought. "I'm not very sure, but probably really stupid and really whorey," she answered. Draco laughed.

"Good guess"

"What about you Mr. Malfoy?" she said lightheartedly.

"Probably, something like Weasly" he replied.

"You're joking right?"

"I'm joking if Neville didn't puke on the dance floor last night"

"You are unbelievable"

"Isn't it great?" he answered haughtily.

Ten minutes later, Snape got up from his desk and ordered everyone to take a sip from the potion they made. The liquid was a deep blue, and a foul smelling stuff. Hermione went first. After a few seconds, Hermione looked down at her uniform and started to unbutton the first three buttons and winked at some Gryffindor guy. She was right. Her other personality was going to be a slut. Everyone had taken the potion except him. If he was going to make an idiot of himself, he was going to make it last. The room was quiet. The silent was interrupted, by a high falsetto voice coming from Potter's mouth.

"I smell pussy…" the new Pothead said in a singsong voice.

"Potter control yourself!" shouted Snape.

"Sorry Snapple" he said with a maniacal grin.

"20 points from Gryffindor for foul language" he said with a sneer.

Just then Potter got up from his seat and started to sniff the air. His face landed right in Goony's lap. Draco tried to hard to restrain himself from laughing.

"Potter!" screamed Goony in a McGonagall like tone, "Restrain yourself and take your face from my lap!"

The room was in total chaos. Goony was as stuck up as the stick in McGonagall's ass. Potter was a pervert. Crabbe and Goyle were having an intellectual conversation about Einstein's theory of relativity. Hermione was a slut. Weasly was acting like Draco. Neville was acting like those gangsters from the states, with all their hoes and pimp canes and whatnot.

"Yo, greasy!" shouted Neville. "You need to check yo' self, homie. Ya know wat I'm sayin' dogg?"

"No I don't know what you are saying, Longbottom" replied Snape.

"Naaa…. See my new name is LB from da WEST SIDE!" said Neville making the west side symbol with his left hand.

Draco shrugged. Bottoms up.

A tingly feeling took over Draco's body. Then he heard a voice that sounded like Goofy.

Hello Partner! 

_Who in the bloody hell are you? _

_I'm your other half! _

_You have got to be kidding…_

_If my name isn't Billy Bob Johnny Johnson_

_You're a part of me?_

_Yerp,_

_Oh god. And I can't stop you?_

_Not for a good five minutes…_

"Class, please restrain yourself!" Snape shouted.

"Oh please, this class is pathetic, I need a real man…" said Hermione licking her lips.

"That sound like dem fightin' words!" Draco said putting up his fists to Hermione.

"I'm a lover not a fighter," said Hermione said a giving suggestive wink. Draco's ears turned red.

"Well gosh, miss" Draco said blushing. Just then Weasly walked up to them.

"I pity you, really Malfoy, Hermione the mud-" Weasly stopped dead in his sentence. "Where am I?"

"The potion has worn off, you may return to your seats," said Snape relieved.

"Why do I have a craving for fried chicken and cabbage?" commented Neville.

"Harry, get out of my skirt!" shouted someone in the front.

"Oh! I'm really sorry Ginny!" apologized Prick-Boy.

"Oh my god, my blouse!" hollered Hermione re-buttoning her shirt.

Snape sat at his desk rubbing his head.

_I wonder if he can turn the doorknob with so much grease on his hand from his hair…_

"I am never doing that again," he mumbled, "Class Dismissed"

* * *

It was dinner, and only a few minutes till Hermione had to tell the the truth.

"Remember guys, after dinner, Gryffindor Common," reminded Hermione.

"Yeah, we remember," said Ron. "Ya know Hermione, I've been wondering something, you haven't been talking about Malfoy like you used to"

Hermione just stuck a fork in her roast beef.

"There's nothing going on right?" Harry said "You and Malfoy's are just friends right?" Hermione guiltily put her fork down and fiddled with her fingers. Harry and Ron got concerned. "Is there something we should know about?" Ron asked getting curious

"We'll talk about that later," she replied.

"There is! I knew it Harry! God! How could you be so stupid?" Ron shouted. People were beginning to look to see what the disturbance was about. "We will talk about this later," Hermione answered stiffly.

"No! We'll talk about this now! Ron shouted as he held her arm and stood up. "Is there something going on between you and Malfoy?" The whole hall went silent and everyone gasped.

"Hermione, is there something we should know?" asked Harry.

"Sit down," she answered, "People are beginning to stare!"

"Stop avoiding the question Hermione!" shouted Ron.

"It's really none of your business!" yelled Hermione. Everyone seemed to be watching this happen like a tennis game, where your eyes move back and forth…

"Yes it is!" Ron roared, "I knew it, you're just a dirty whore!" His comment echoed through the halls. Hermione was now crying. Wham. She slapped him. The hand mark on his cheek was as red as his hair.

"I was going to tell you after dinner!" she shouted. She grabbed her goblet filled with pumpkin juice and poured it on Ron. She ran out of the Great Hall, leaving a gaping Harry, Ron, Draco, Dumbledore and staff, and basically the whole dam school shocked.

Had they heard correctly? Malfoy and Granger together as a couple? They didn't think it was possible to use their names together without the words, "injury" or "death". And they thought it was going to be a boring year…

Harry and Ron soon ran after her. Draco soon followed them. As soon as they left, the Hall because buzzing with gossip.

* * *

Hermione was crying in the Astronomy tower. The sun was just about to kiss the horizon once again. How could Ron be so careless and embarrass her in front of the whole school like that? How could Harry just let him!

"This may have been the most self-absorbed thing you have done," Harry began. Hermione looked at him through her tears.

"Self-absorbed!" she shouted, "This is the only thing I've done for myself this year Harry!"

"Oh yeah? How is that?" shouted Harry.

"It's always about you Harry!" she yelled "You, and the war! I can never think about myself because it's always about you and Ron!"

"That is not true!"

"All the stuff I did for you, I don't even get the credit for, but I said nothing, because I think to myself and say that you deserve it!" she cried "The only thing I do for myself, and you're mad at me for it! I really care about Draco!"

"Yeah right, Hermione!" said Ron "It's not supposed to be this way!"

"Don't you dare tell me what things are supposed to be or not. You're not God!" she cried.

"God, I'm sick of even looking at you, Granger," said Ron maliciously.

"Granger?" she sobbed, "You've never called me that before"

"That was after, we were not friends" Ron said.

"You lied to us Hermione! Friends don't lie! Not about stuff like that!" Harry shouted, "I needed your support and you were too busy sneaking around with Malfoy!"

Hermione slid down from the Tower wall to the ground and she cried. Harry and Ron were about to leave Draco pushed them out of the way and aided to her side. She sobbed on his shoulder and pulled him closer. Draco gave them the dirtiest look he could muster. If looks could kill, Harry and Ron would have been road kill.

"C'mon Hermione," Draco said sympathetically helping her get up. Draco walked her through the door.

"Oh and Weasly?" he asked. Bam. Malfoy punched him in the nose. He was about to fall but Harry caught him.

"No one calls my girlfriend a whore," he stated.

A/n: This is my favorite freaking chapter! Youmight not like it, but I'm proud of my self. I told ya it was a long chapter. It was ten pages, so I guess its like two chapter combined into one. So what happens next? **–**Shrugs- I don't know either.


	10. Caught in the Act

A/n: I've been busy, with school and stuff like that, but this chapter is pretty long so it should cover the day's I've haven't updated on. Chapter nine is still my favorite. Oh and tell me if my characters are getting a little out of character. ACTION!

Here are some clips from last chapter:

_He trusted her. And she violated his trust. _

"_Then why isn't you don't tell them, and don't give me that line of bull about how you don't think they're ready!" he shouted. _

"_If I trip, fall and break my neck the medical bill goes to you," he said smugly as they reentered the Great Hall. _

_How many children do those people have? They must of shagged like rabbits…Shudders_

"_I heard about you and Malfoy," Ron said with a sour face. "Have you gone mad! Malfoy? Are you that desperate for friends?" _

"_Today, we will be attempting to make "The Adversus " potion. This potion is a personality-altering potion. It will turn anyone into the complete opposites of their personality._

"_Yo, greasy!" shouted Neville. "You need to check yo' self, homie. Ya know wat I'm sayin' dogg?" _

"_No I don't know what you are saying, Longbottom" replied Snape. _

"_Naaa… See my new name is LB from da WEST SIDE!" said Neville making the west side symbol with his left hand._

_Yes it is!" Ron roared, "I knew it, you're just a dirty whore!" His comment echoed through the halls. Hermione was now crying. Wham. She slapped him. The hand mark on his cheek was as red as his hair. "I was going to tell you after dinner!" she shouted. She grabbed her goblet filled with pumpkin juice and poured it on Ron. _

"_All the stuff I did for you, I don't even get the credit for, but I said nothing, because I think to myself and say that you deserve it!" she cried "The only thing I do for myself, and you're mad at me for it! I really care about Draco!"_

"_Oh and Weasly?" he asked. Bam. Malfoy punched him in the nose. He was about to fall but Harry caught him. _

"_No one calls my girlfriend a whore," he stated. _

"He's brainwashed you, Hermione!" shouted Harry. Ron wiped the blood from his nose and looked viciously at retreating Draco's back.

"PRICK!" he shouted as he lunged at Draco. He then struck Malfoy in the back, sending them tumbling down the astronomy tower stairs. All you saw was a blur of red and blond.

Hermione got out of the way just in time.

"Ron stop it!" she cried. Ron was at the bottom of the stairs, punching Draco repeatedly in the face. Hermione ran down the stairs, pulled Ron from Draco and pinned him against the wall.

"Harry! Why aren't you doing anything to help!" she yelled from the bottom of the stairs struggling to keep Ron still.

"Why should I? He deserves it," Harry said nastily "Would of done it myself, if Ron wasn't doing such a good job at,"

"He deserves what? For making me happy?" Hermione shouted. Just then Ron pushed Hermione, and she fell to the floor. Draco got up and began to knee Ron in the stomach and rammed him into the wall, choking him and raising him until his feet almost didn't touch the ground.

"Don't toy with me, Weasly," he warned dangerously.

"Stop it Draco!" Draco didn't stop.

"You're killing him! You're going to get expelled!" she hollered.

A few seconds later, Draco lowered Ron to the ground. He looked hatefully into his eyes, and walked off spitting blood onto the floor. Hermione looked tearfully at her ex-friend, Harry helping ex-friend Ron up from the floor.

"50 points from Gryffindor and Slytherin," she said sadly, "You should get to the Hospital Wing, Ron"

They just eyed her scornfully as she walked away.

_Was all of this worth it? Was Draco worth it?_

X

She caught up with Draco, who was speed walking through the halls.

"Where are you going?" she asked

"To the common room" he answered coldly as he kept walking.

"You should be heading to the Hospital Wing"

He turned around so fast it almost gave_ her_ whiplash.

"Do you have any _clue_ what that bastard got us into?" he said heatedly, but not raising his voice.

"No, not really, so it's out in the open, I don't see the danger here," she answered honestly. Draco muttered something about Gryffindors being dense.

"I know a few people in this school who would love to tell Voldemort about this. Then you know what? Next thing you know we're hung upside down stark naked with a very large knife stuck up our ass" he said as he started to walk again.

"Oh," was all she could muster.

"Oh," he mocked, "You have no idea, but that maniacal Michael Jackson copycat can be a very sick bastard".

"Well, didn't your father tell him something?" she asked.

"If he did, I would be dead," said Draco frankly. Hermione nodded.

"Well, at least let me clean up your cuts, we have patrol duty tonight"

"After all that's happened tonight, you still want to do patrol duty?"

"Yes, I must not abandon my obligation as Head Girl"

_How could she go through all of this and yet be as uptight as McGongall's granny panties…_

"Well, you're all alone on that one," he said.

Hermione pouted. "You're going to leave me all alone?"

"_Ostendo Subsisto, _No, I'm going to dress up like a fairy, wear a tutu and wings and put my hair in ponytails" he said sarcastically he walked in the Head common room.

Hermione chuckled to her self as the thought of him. "You're such a cocky bastard at times, ya know that Draco?" she asked.

"Chip off the ol' block aren't I?" he said heading towards his room.

"Where are you going?"

"To my bedroom, want to join me?" he said slyly.

"Ah, no" she explained, "Bathroom please,"

"Like it kinky do you, Granger?" Draco said with a devious smile.

X

"Ow, bloody hell Hermione, take it easy," complained Draco, as his cuts were being tending too.

"So, you can stand Ron beating your face into a bloody pulp, but can't handle a bit of alcohol?" mocked Hermione "Just stand still, you big baby, few more to go,"

"First of all, so we get things clear, I won. Second of all, don't ever call me a baby again or it will be mandatory for me throttle you. Third of all, why again can't you use magic?"

"Because _someone_ was too stubborn to go to the Hospital wing. I already told you I don't have the proper supplies, we're just going to have to do it the muggle way."

"Why do muggles have to do everything so primitive?" he protested. Hermione opened her mouth to object but was interrupted by a noise that sounded like someone was coming to the common room.

"Mr. Malfoy? Ms. Granger?" said a voice.

Draco and Hermione walked out of the bathroom, and she saw a tall figure, with twinkling sapphire eyes.

_Why the hell are his eyes always twinkling? Does he have stigmatism or something?_

"Oh, Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione relieved.

_Why do people even call him "Professor" in the first place, he doesn't even teach a blasted thing, he just stands there and looks like a big crackwhore all day… _

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy, I wanted to speak to you two about the display that happened in the Great Hall tonight," he started "I'm take it by all the cuts and bruises things didn't go so well after you left"

_No shit Sherlock… The Great and Wise Dumbledore my ass…_

Well, concerning the blood that was left on the floor near the Astronomy Tower, I presume it was yours or Mr. Weasley's?"

_You guessed right! Here's a cookie!_

Draco nodded his head.

"Well, in that case the head of both of your houses would like to speak to you, in McGonagall's office. Ms. Granger, I would advise you should be there. I will take my leave, and if I were you I would hope for the best in your favor" he said, "Good night" And with that he left.

_Quirky bastard…_

"C'mon, Draco we have a 'meeting'," said Hermione have a lurking feeling of foreboding.

X

Draco and Hermione unusually quiet.

"This is worthy of expulsion!" shouted McGonagall, "especially from you Mr. Weasly!" Snape just looked at Draco spitefully.

_Slimy git better stop looking at me like that… it's giving me the creeps. _

"I didn't start it! Malfoy did, he's the one that threw the first punch!"

"You didn't have to throw the next! Someone could have been seriously hurt! I am especially disappointed in you Mr. Malfoy, and coming from the Head Boy! As for now Mr. Malfoy, you will be temporarily stripped of your Head Boy duties after Christmas vacation. As for both of you, your parents will be notified," McGonagall, ordered.

Weasly collapsed in his chair in defeat. Draco rolled his eyes and remained stoical.

_Go ahead, tell my parents, they're not going to be mad. Just disappointed that I didn't finish the job… _

"Another thing" Snape finally said, "You will be serving a month's detention with each other,"

"With that twitchy ferret?" Ron wailed "Never!"

"I'm giving you an alternative, Weasly" Snape said nastily "Detention with Malfoy or expulsion,"

"Ms. Granger, you will be patrolling with one of the prefects instead of Mr. Malfoy while his suspension"

"That is final" Snape finished, "Mr. Malfoy, I would like to speak to you,"

Hermione and Ron began to walk out. Ron mumbled something about rubbish, delusional professors and ferrets.

X

Snape just sat in McGonagall's chair looking spitefully at Draco.

"Aren't you going to say something?" asked Draco getting uncomfortable in Snape's glare. "Fine, if you aren't going to talk, I'll just leave," he said getting out of his chair.

"SIT DOWN," ordered Snape almost forcedly. "Have you gone completely MAD?"

"Like what Severus?" asked Draco calmly.

"You call me Professor Snape in school, boy" said Snape "When your father finds out about this…"

"About what?" asked Draco annoyed

"About you and your infatuation with the mudblood!" said Snape raising his voice. Draco winced at the "m" word.

"What 'infatuation?'" he snorted.

"She said that she was going to _tell them_ later, which means its true!"

Draco remained silent.

"Leave her, because if you don't, I'm afraid the next time you are in a life and death situation, I won't be there to save you," Snape said heatedly.

Draco chuckled to himself, "You old man, need to stay out of other's people's business,"

"Your well-being is my business, Draco!"

"You call me Mr. Malfoy in school, _boy_," Draco said with a smirk.

"Stop playing around!" Snape said slamming his hand on the desk. "Do what you want with the girl and then leave her!"

"You sound exactly like my father…"

"Lucius knows about this scandal?"

"Well, I would figure he knew something was going on…"

"You still surprise me how naïve and how utterly dim-witted you can be,"

"Mhmm yes, are you done with the verbal abuse?"

"Final word, leave Granger alone, she will spoil our plans,"

"No she won't," Draco defended.

"You better be right, _Mr. Malfoy_…" he warned "If someone tells the Dark Lord about this…"

"Don't worry, I'm sure everything is going to be fine…" Draco fibbed. "Are you going to tell father?"

"As much as I want to hurt you now, no. You are still an essential part of the plan,"

"Ahem, Mr. Malfoy, you're going to be late for patrol," said McGonagall waiting at the door. "I would assume you _were_ going to go with Ms. Granger?"

_All right, all right, just because I want to get out of this hell you call an office…_

"Yes, professor," Draco said getting up from his seat.

"Remember what I said Mr. Malfoy," Snape reminded as Draco left for the door.

X

They were on the last floor, after this round patrol was over. Now it was a game of Q&A. Hermione was doing most of the Q-ing.

"So what are you going to do when you go home for the holidays?" asked Hermione.

"I don't think I'm going home for the holidays," replied Draco.

"Why not?" asked Hermione with her head cocked to the side that was just adorable to Draco.

"I'm afraid that if I go home, I won't be coming back," answered Draco grimly.

Hermione was going to ask him another question when a sound coming from a classroom, sounded like someone was "having fun".

"Here goes another one. When will they ever learn?" he said as he opened the door with an "Alohamora"

There was a couple. The girl was with red hair, and the boy with black hair.

"Harry, Ginny?" asked Hermione.

It was Ginny all right, but not Harry.

_**And now for a commercial break:**_

_**Soft music playing**_

_**Remember the times you've had together….**_

_**The time he brought you flowers,**_

_**Used to talk for hours,**_

_**But then he hooked up with**_

_**Your best friend, and you beat her down**_

_**Because she stabbed you in the back**_

_**And he said "Oh baby I'm really sorry…."**_

_**Electric guitar**_

_**Degrassi, it so goes there. **_

_**X**_

_**Pops cereal **_

_**As portrayed as **_

_**A music video**_

_**Pop sweet glaze,**_

_**Goes bling like my ring**_

_**That sweet toast crunch, is tight like my limousine, **_

_**So yellow yandilicious, are you feeling ambitious?**_

_**For a taste that's so large**_

_**It's a cereal SUPERSTAR**_

_**It's a pop thang, Sweet crunchy bling bling **_

_**This cereal is the dilio; it's a pop thang, sweet crunchy bling bling…**_

_**Gotta have my Pops. **_

_**End of our commercial break**_

It was Stephen Johnson, a 6th year Ravenclaw. He had black hair and icy blue eyes. As soon as he caught sight of Hermione and Draco, he flew out of there like his ass on was on fire.

"Wait! Stephen!" Ginny cried "Why'd you do that for!"

_Damn, Potter's friend is dating his archrival, and his girlfriend is cheating on him. His life is almost as crappy as mine… _

_Life is good. _

"Ginny? What about Harry?" asked Hermione flabbergasted.

_Was that her name? Ginny? Well, her name still sucks ass…_

"How can I put this simply," She-Weasel said buttoning up her blouse, "Weaslys have big appetites, I mean look at Ron, but see, mine is not for food…"

_Well, well, well, looks who's Slutty McSlut… _

"Well, doesn't Harry do all that for you?" said Hermione tried to sound her cleanest.

"Used to…" she said frankly.

Hermione tried to stop her self from asking stuff that was too personal. As always, her curiosity got the best of her. Draco just seemed to be enjoying all of this.

"So, he's…bad?" asked Hermione trying desperately to keep mental images of Harry. Oh Merlin, she was beginning to feel queasy. Even Draco was looking a little green.

"Heck no!" said Ginny, "Just ain't giving me any,"

"Hermione, we need to finish this patrol, want me to finish this off?" Draco asked needing to get away from the mental pictures.

"Yeah, Ginny and I need some 'girl talk'"

"Alright, talk to you later," and with that he left.

"How long have you been doing this?" asked Hermione

"This was my first time ever doing something like this…" confessed Ginny.

"Do I tell Harry?" Hermione asked to herself more than Ginny.

"NO! You can't Hermione please!" Ginny pleaded

Hermione thought to herself.

_Harry has already made it clear he doesn't want anything to go with you, so why pry? _

_You're right…_

_Just listen to m- I am? Oh right, I know I am. _

_So keep shut?_

_Keep shut._

"Okay, but if he finds out, I had nothing to do with this," Hermione said heading for the door.

"Wait, Hermione?" Ginny called, "Is it true? Are you and Malfoy dating?"

"_No one," he said defiantly "But if someone have asked I would of told them and been frank, Hermione!" _

"Yes, but don't tell. We can get in serious trouble"

Ginny pouted.

"What's the point of having all this juicy gossip if I can't share it?"

"Sorry, oh and report back to your common room," Hermione said leaving the room.

Ginny sighed.

Hermione's head popped back inside, "20 points from Gryffindor," she said before leaving and closing the door.

A/n: Hope ya like it, R&R. I'd like to thank all my faithful reviewers, new or old, for being so patient. Hugz and Kisses to all of you. Here's a random list I thought of in the car.

Five reasons Michael Jackson and Voldemort are alike:

1. High pitched voice

2. Both want to change the world (In Voldemort's case, he wants to kill all muggles)

3. Both have a fascination with muggle children (Dead or Alive)

4. Both deathly pale (Need I say more?)

5. Both go through many transformations. (There was 9 year Michael, Cute teenage Michael, Cute rich Gerry-curls twenties Michael, "Peter Pan" Michael, Scary Michael.

For Voldemort, I'm guessing like Tom Riddle but older version, "Barely there" HWSNBN, "Creepy, "E.T, go home" Voldemort, and Red eyed, pale, slits for nose HWSNBN)

HWSNBN He who should not be named.

I'm thinking of doing a chapter thats a bit more interactive with the audience. I will put some things that have happened in Tv shows or movies, and after you read the chapter, if you name all of them in a review, you get to name a character and what they are and stuff. Sound fun? I'll tell you when that chapter comes. Until then, Stay tuned!


	11. Notes and Meetings and Fighting Oh my!

A/n: Thank you for being so patient with me. I've just been busy with writers' block and school, but now I have inspiration! So, I hope you enjoy! Don't be offended about the religion thing. Oh! So I don't get sued, the stuff Draco says about, I got it from this really funny comedian on HBO. :D That is all!

Today was the day those who were going home for the holidays were leaving, and the train was leaving in a few hours. Draco and Hermione were talking about Christmas and just happened to stumble upon the topic of religion.

"What do you mean you don't have a religion?" asked Hermione.

"Religion has led you to believe that there is an invisible man in the sky. And that invisible man had 10 things he doesn't want you to do. But, if you do them, he will send you to a place of fire where you will experience suffering, torture, pain, and misery… but he loves you," replied Draco smirking.

"Well, when you say it like that…"

"If I say it any other way, it still sounds like complete rubbish,"

"That is not true! Why must you put everything down that you don't believe? Besides, you don't have to scientifically prove everything. Religion is based on faith alone. Without a god, or heaven, we have no hope, no where to look forward to when we die,"

"That's not true, Hermione" he said slyly as he turned around to face her "I hope you will shut up," he laughed "And this is coming from Ms. Divination is an inadequate study because it can't be proven?"

"You're absolutely impossible…"

X

Hermione and Draco had stopped their conversing and slowly made their ways to their own tables. To Hermione, it felt like the whole school was watching her. (Maybe because they were…) It was like they were the dogs, and she was the Kibbles n' bits.

Draco didn't have any appetite, he clearly understood that the Slytherin House heard the rumors and were pissed off beyond believe about it. He even got flipped off by a couple of fourth years to which puberty was not being so generous to. Draco snorted.

_They were asgood-lookingDumbledore singing "I'm too sexy" in a thong … Shudders _

Just then Pansy walked over to him. She gave him a cold look and then handed him a piece of parchment and left the table.

"We have things to discuss Mr. Malfoy," said a silky refined voice coming from behind Draco.

X

Ron was giving her that look again. The look that said, "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, and I hate you… Guess what? I hate you,"

As she finished her goblet of pumpkin juice there was a note appeared into it. She took it out under the table, it read:

_Meet me in RR_

_HP_

She looked at Harry and he nodded. He then turned to Ron and mumbled something about finishing his packing. Hermione turned around to follow him when Deputy Headmistress was behind her.

"Careful, Ms. Granger" McGonagall began, "Follow me,"

"Sorry professor, but I'm a little preoccupied, can it wait until later?" asked Hermione

"I'm afraid not. It's time to meet the temporary Head Boy," she replied "He's waiting in my office,"

X

"Have you done what I've told you?" asked Snape.

Draco rolled his eyes, "This is what you brought me into this shithole you call an office?" he said looking around the dungeon in distaste.

Snape leaned over his desk over to Draco. "You have to break it off, the Dark Lord will find out… he has many sources around the castle. We cannot afford to lose you,"

"What else is new?"

"This is the last time I am saying this to you Draco…"

"…"

"You care about her don't you?" Snape said with a sneer. Draco glared at him.

"Is that a hobby of yours? Prying where your nose doesn't belong?"

X

"Ms. Granger meet Mr. McAdams," said McGonagall gesturing her hand to the young man.

He was a very handsome young man indeed. He was tall and had shortblack hair, hazel almond eyes with a long straight nose, and full pale pink lips.

"Hi, call me Calvin," he said as he flashed a charming smile and lend out his hand.

"Hermione Granger," she said shaking his hand, "I think I've seen you before, Ravenclaw right?"

"You've guessed right," he said smiling, "I'm look forward to working with you,"

"Same here," she said as the topic of Harry crashed into her head. She managed to suppress a gasp as she searched frantically in her robes.

_Where is that note?_

"Oh I'm so sorry, but I have to run," she said running out of the office.

X

"I would guess you're going home for the holidays?"

"You've guessed wrong"

Snape looked befuddled. It was a strange look on his face. It was a cross between Lovegood, and his mother on something very illegal…

"As a matter of interest, why not?"

"We both know my father is a very dangerous man. Hell, the whole wizarding world knows," said Draco looking up at the ceiling, "If I want to keep alive, I think its best I keep my distance. Especially the way things are… "

"That's understandable," he concluded as his gave a light sigh "I have said what I have wanted to say. Good day, Draco" he said as he left Draco the dungeon.

Draco got up and put his hands in his pockets. He felt something, Pansy's note. Draco opened up the note.

_We need to talk. Now._

_Meet me in Divination Tower and don't be late. _

_PP_

X

Hermione walked three times in front of a wall deep in thought. When she did, a door appeared. She walked inside and saw Harry sitting in a on a sofa. It seemed to be almost like a library, with ancient-looking books lining every inch of the wall. A deep scarlet and gold seemed to be the predominant color.

"Hi Harry," Hermione said shyly as she sat down the sofa opposite of him.

"Hey" was his reply.

X

"Draco!" Pansy near-shouted, "You came!" as she got up from leaning on the banister.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Obviously since I'm here," he said lazily "What's this about?"

"I needed to talk to you about you and your relations with the mudblood," she said coming closer to him.

"Pansy she's not-" he began, but was cut off by Pansy's finger on his lips. She was now so close, that she had her fingers under the collar of his robes.

"You're going to soil your reputation if you keep going out with that filth," she said slowly. Draco temper was flaring.

"She is not filth!" he shouted as he removed her hands from his collar, "The only filth I see here is you!"

Pansy shook her fists in angerand slapped him. He was the one to break the silence.

"Pansy?"

"Yes?" she said on the verge of tears.

_Wow, who knew Pansy was such a... pansy?_

"That didn't even hurt," he said as he flew past her.

X

"Look, 'Mione I don't approve of this… fling you're having with Malfoy," he said bitterly.

"First of all, it's not a fling. Second of all, I didn't ask for your approval," said Hermione decisively.

Harry was silent for a while but then spoke. "Do you want to know why Ron acted as he did?" asked Harry.

"Because he hates the fact of me and Malfoy, right?"

"Yes, but that's only part of the picture,"

"Go on…"

"He's bitter because you chose Malfoy over us, as am I"

"I didn't choose Malfoy over you," she began, "I didn't even ask for you guys to like each other. It's just that- "

"Packing eh?" said a fiery red headed Weasly from the entrance of the Room of Requirement holding Hermione's note.

A/n: Another cliffy, I know… I should be shot, killed, and maimed. But it gives the author time to think what happens. Oh ya, for those who didn't get the term "flipping off," it means giving somebody the middle finger. Heh. Lovely fourth years aren't they?


	12. Gifts and Alcoholics

Disclaimer: I haven't had one of these in quite of few chapters but so extra precaution so I don't get sued out of the 50 cents I have left: All familiar characters belong to J.K Rowling.

A/n: Oh my goodness. I have so many versions of this chapter it's not even funny. But I found one just right! RR Enjoy.

X

Pansy watched as Draco's retreating figure leave.

"You will be mine, whether you want to or not," she said quietly moving toward the library.

"I think I have a little time for research," she said to herself.

X

"Ron, how did you get that?" asked Hermione.

"You left it on the floor after McGonagall took you away" he said almost spitefully, "So what's this?"

"We're discussing the issue with her and Malfoy," said Harry.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought…. you needed time to cool off," explained Harry.

"Cool off! Hell Harry, you make it sound like I'm sort of a cake or something!"

"You were completely over-reacting when you found out!

"OVERREACTING? You're Mr. I'll let Ron deal with it, like I'm your slave or something!"

"Now you know how I feel" interrupted Hermione.

'Mione you don't understand!" Ron said.

"You don't understand Ron, You both don't understand! I can date whoever the hell I want,"

"But" included Harry cut off.

"But nothing, I'm not leaving Malfoy, not just because you said so,"

"'Mione he'll break you heart," Harry said.

"There is a chance of that, I know, but I think it's worth a try," she explained, "I don't expect you to like him, I wouldn't be surprised if you hated him even more,"

"We do," replied Ron.

"Besides, isn't it a little late for teenage rebellion?" included Harry. Hermione ignored them.

"Guys, I miss being friends, I miss being the Golden Trio… I miss you…"

"Us too, but what about Malfoy?" asked Ron

"What _about_ Malfoy?" said Hermione.

"You expect us to be all sugar and lollipops after the hell he put us through?" included Harry.

"We might as well dress up in little mini-skirt cheerleading outfits, waving our pom-poms in the air shouting "Go Hermione and Malfoy!" mumbled Ron.

"No, I don't, but remember I didn't stop being friends after the stuff you did to me…"

"What are you going on about Hermione?" inquired Harry.

"For starters, last Christmas at The Burrow when you got Crookshank drunk!"

"Hey! That cat is a chronic alcoholic!" defended Ron.

"Still, I didn't shun you for it!" snapped Hermione

"Well…but… Fred and George dared me to do it!" shouted Ron.

"Since when do you listen to them?"

"They have weapons, weapons more powerful than your wildest dreams!" said Ron sounding a bit like Peter Pettigrew.

Hermione just stared at him blankly. "How much did they pay you?"

"10 galleons," Ron said with his head down.

"10 galleons? Crookshanks almost tore my head off when he had that hangover!"

Harry and Ron chuckled.

"What is so funny?" Hermione shouted, "Imagine having a half drunken cat your head hissing and trying to scratch your eyes out!"

Harry and Ron were laughing so much they were crying. Even Hermione began to laugh.

"Merlin, Hermione… I'm sorry," apologized Harry wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

"For laughing at my alcoholic cat, or about Malfoy?"

"Both," included Ron.

"I guess that was a bit strange of us wasn't it?" asked Harry.

"Yes, but thanks guys," she said as she gave them a hug.

"Wait, on one condition!" interrupted Ron, "If he does break your heart, I can say 'I told you so' and I get to hurt him… badly,"

"Deal," agreed Hermione.

"WAIT! You can't snog him in front of us, that would just be absolutely immoral…." said Harry.

Hermione smiled. "Sounds reasonable,"

X

Draco stood watching the students leave from the bell tower. He could see Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson carrying a freakishly large book, Potter, Weasly and even the fourth years that flipped him off.

_I didn't know she could read…_

But no Hermione.

"I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye," said a voice behind him. He turned around to see Hermione. She smiled.

"I'm going to miss you," she said putting her head on his chest hugging him.

"I'm going to miss you too,"

"Write to me everyday, okay?"

"Hermione, I'm not going to war," he said as he rolled his eyes. Hermione caught this and pinched him on the back.

"OW! Okay, I'll write! Geez…" he said with a pout.

"Wimp"

"Know-it-all"

_The last moments of me being with her and I'm being physically abused... brilliant..._

Hermione chuckled and shook her head.

"Harry and Ron know about us…"

"We've been through this stage haven't we?"

"Well they're not okay with it, but they don't think I'm still a slut so I guess that's a step,"

Draco nodded. Suddenly his face lit up into a playful smirk.

"I have a Christmas present for you," he said "but you cannot open it unless you're on the train,"

It was now Hermione that was now pouting.

"Why not!"

"Because I said so,"

"How do I know you didn't jinx it?"

"Why would I - stop being so irritating and just trust me?" Hermione looked at him suspiciously.

"Fine," she agreed, "So where is it?"

"That's for me to know, and you to find out…" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I'll go along with it, I have a gift for you too," she said. Draco didn't reply. He pulled her in by the waist and gave Hermione a kiss that left her in a daze.

"Stay safe Hermione," he said.

"You too," she replied grazing his lips with her fingers, "I got to go. Don't you want your present?"

"I have my present,"

Hermione smiled.

"Bye Hermione,"

"Bye Draco,"

Right as she turned to leave he grab her by the arm.

"Merry Christmas,"

Hermione was going to call him a hypocrite for saying he didn't believe in a God, but wishing her a Merry Christmas but just replied with a simple:

"Merry Christmas, Draco" Hermione said with a smile.

**X**

The newly restored Golden Trio made their way onto the train.

"I think this one is empty," Ron said as he sat down into a compartment. Parvati and Lavender then stood at the compartment door giggling.

Ron ears turned beet red at the sight of her.

"H-Hey L-Lavender," he stumbled.

"Aw… your look so cute when you're flushed,"

Hermione rolled her eyes. The tension between Lavender and Ron was devastatingly obvious. Why don't they just Shag-n-go? It would save a whole lot of time and save a whole lot of agony.

"Hey anyways, is it true you guys are friends again?" asked Lavender.

"Er… yes," replied Hermione wondering what they were up to.

"I knew it!" said Parvati "Pay up baby!"

You could hear Lavender counting the galleons that she owed Parvati as they left the compartment.

"So what are you guys doing for the holidays?" asked Hermione.

"Well, same old same old, Weasleys from Merlin knows where, pop out of no-where and next thing you know the place is crowded like the sticks stuck up McGonnagal's butt!" Ron complained, "Food is brilliant though,"

_Well obviously it's going to be crowded, the Weasleys are almost like the Wayans family, except white and broke. _

"What about you Harry?"

"I'm staying with the Weasleys for the holidays. The Dursleys are a little shaken up from what happened last time.

Harry had gotten into deep hoodoo over the summer. It's complicated to explain, but lets they say when they got Harry pissed, Uncle Vernon ended up with Jerry curls and Dudley and Petunia doing the cabbage patch singing "Ice Ice Baby". The worst part? The guests they were having over thought they were being possessed by Satan and started sprinkling Holy Water on them and kept saying "The Power of Christ compels you!" Remind me never piss of Harry.

Ron chuckled. "Brilliant,"

Hermione felt like she was sitting on something.

"Wait a minute," she muttered.

Sitting beneath her was a scarlet red book with an elegant golden trim with a note on it. It was a diary. It read:

_To put all your cherished memories into it,_

_Like I have cherished you_

_DM_

X

Aww…. I wish Draco were my man! I hope ya like it :D There's nothing like bonding over a drunken cat, but hey I couldn't keep the Golden Trio broken up! That would be down right mean. I wonder what Pansy is up too… Actually I don't wonder because I already know. So let me rephrase that. I bet _you're_ wondering what Pansy is up too…

Stay tuned and thank you for all your reviews. Hugz and Kisses.


	13. Who's who and What's what

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter™

A/n: Finally! This chapter was a bitch-a-rooni-dooni to write. R&R though. I'll try to update sooner.

Pansy slowly made her way into the compartment. Of course she would, she was holding a book the size of a midget.

Pansy sat down into a compartment with Crabbe and Goyle who happily grunting about something trivial like the two stupid hairless apes they were. She rolled her eyes and opened up the book called "The Who's Who, Which Witch and What's What In The Wizarding World" She turned to the Index.

_Page 8 ……………………… Introduction_

_Page 15……………………… History of Magic_

_Page 55 ……………………… Famous people of the Wizarding World_

_Page 105 ……………………… Places in the Wizarding World_

_Page 158 ……………………… Creatures in the Wizarding World _

_Page 359………………………Plants in the Wizarding World_

_Page 480……………………… Items and Devices_

_Page 540……………………… Food in the Wizarding world_

_Page 616………………………Muggle Relations_

_Page 760………………………Quidditch throughout the ages _

_Page 893………………………Wizarding Schools_

_- Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry _

_- Beauxbatons_

_- Drumstrang school Of Wizardry_

_Page 1002……………………… Thanks and Praises_

_Page 1006 ……………………… Letter from the authors_

Pansy began to flip to "Creatures in the Wizarding World". According to them, it was divided into five categories depending on how dangerous they are, five being the most dangerous. When she turned to category five, she immediately saw what she had been looking for and tore out the page.

X

"Bloody hell, what's that?" asked Ron unwrapping a chocolate frog.

"It's a diary," answered Hermione dreamily. She looked at it more closely and saw golden imprints at the spine of the book.

Harry and Ron looked at each other. "Malfoy," they muttered.

As Ron was about to swallow a bit of his chocolate frog before someone came to the door.

"Yo,"

Harry and Hermione looked up and Ron began to choke.

"NEVILLE?" said Harry in disbelief.

Neville was wearing yellow and green baggy clothes with a du-rag.

"Sup ya'll,"

Ron was turning red.

"W-what are you wearing?" asked Harry.

"Ma new gears hot rite?"

"First of all why are you dressed like that?" asked Hermione chuckling.

"See there's new girl rite, and she is finnneee!" explained Neville "I'm talkin onion bootay!"

"So you're dressed like… that?" said Hermione.

"Yea see, she's Get-toe to da fifth power son!"

Ron was turning a deep crimson.

"Do we know her?" asked Hermione.

"Naw, shortay"

"Is there a reason for the colors?" asked Harry.

He was turning purple.

"Oh yeah, green fo da monay and yellow fo da honays,"

Hermione mouthed the word 'wow'.

"Yo, ya need to check ya boy," warned Neville.

"RONALD!"

Hermione did the Heimlich maneuver on Ron who seemed to be clutching his throat for dear life. Finally he got it out, and the chocolate frog spattered unto the window. It shook its headless body up and waved his ass at him to say "Haha Biotch!"

"Finally!" shouted Ron raspily "I could of died!"

"Sorry," apologized Harry.

"Yo, you okay?" Nevile asked.

Ron just glared at him.

"Right, so how ya'll likes da new me?"

"It almost got me killed!"

"It's unique," lied Harry.

"Yeah, it's unique," agreed Hermione "But I'm sure, Neville, that she would like you for the old you,"

"Coo, remember the names LB from da West side!" said Neville pounding his chest with his fist and making a 'W' with his fingers.

"I gots ta go, I holla at chu lata," LB said "My ass gotta use da shitcan,"

"Yeah, sure,"

"Peace,"

Once Neville left the compartment, everyone sent each other looks. Almost immediately, everyone started to laugh.

X

He had always thought Hogwarts could not get any more boring. Draco was absolutely wrong. It was only a few hours since everyone left and he was bored out of his wits. He could be doing all kinds of wild shit; I mean he had the castle to himself. But how can you have fun when there was absolutely no one worth having fun with? Causing mischief when there was no one to wreck havoc with, or even laugh at the mayhem you caused? No, he did not do that by himself. That seemed something Dumbledore would do. And he was not a crack-head wack-a-doo bent on destroying his life. So he did the thing he did when he was bored. He flew.

He stepped out into the crisp winter air. No annoying Hufflepuffs throwing snow balls at each other, no Slytherins throwing snowballs at the Hufflepuffs, no Gryffindors telling the Slytherins to stop, no Ravenclaws shaking there heads and laughing. But most importantly, no clingy as static, and dumb as drool monkeys Pansy. He was finally free from her grip of steel.

Draco mounted his broom and flew wherever the wind took him.

X

"Ronald! Ginny!" shouted Mrs. Weasly. When she caught sight of them she gave them a hug so tight, she might have given them asthma.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger," greeted Mr. Weasly "We're expecting you to spend the holidays,"

"Wouldn't miss it," said Harry with a smile.

"And you Miss Granger?"

"Of course," Hermione replied, "Oh there are my parents, I'll talk to you later," she said walking away, "Owl me!"

"Mum, Dad!" Hermione said hugging her parents.

"Heya 'Mione," welcomed her dad with a hug. She had always been a 'daddy's lil angel'.

"Hey Hun," said her mom hugging her too, "Guess what?"

"Chicken butt?"

Her mother chuckled, "No, the whole family is coming for Christmas dinner."

"Nice… what's the occasion?"

Hermione's mother smiled. "Nothing that can't wait," she replied, "Would you like to invite anyone?"

Hermione smiled. She knew exactly who.

X

"Pansy, dear, how are you?" said Pansy's mother cutting into her food.

"Nothing really, me and Draco are getting serious," Pansy lied.

"Superb, the great pureblood line will continue," said her father smugly tipping his wineglass towards his wife.

"Yeah, I don't feel like eating, may be excused?"

"Of course," said her mother.

Pansy walked down the candlelit hallways of the Parkinson Mansion. She turned to a great and went into her room. It was lavishly decorated, with the finest silks and fabrics. One would think her room would maybe be the Slytherin colors, maybe even black. No, it was shocking, intense hot pink.

She quickly took off her robe and when to the window. She took out the note and read it again:

_Lady Grim, or Maiden of the Macabre lives in the darkest depths of the Forbidden Forest. She takes the form of whatever creature you may be. Example: If you are a centaur, she will take form of a centaur, if you are human, she will be human and so forth. No one knows her true form. Rated category five because she is known to lure unsuspecting men, along with women with her song. Legend tells us that she can grant you the wildest dreams, if you pay the right price. Before she died, she was known as Duchess of Arlington, one of the most beautiful women in the world since Helen of Troy. She was very vain, and died because of a broken heart. The man she loved had chosen a lowly peasant girl instead of her. So, after she died she made a deal with the devil (see page 208) to live after death so she could haunt the one who betrayed her. Unfortunately for her, her spirit was cast into the forbidden forest, were it dwells for all eternity, until her soul is put to rest, granting all who seek her, wishes._

Pansy smiled wickedly, Granger was going to pay.

A/n: You asked for a reoccurence, ya got it :D R&R Enjoy


	14. Santa Baby

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter Universe.

A/n: This was honestly way to fun to write. So fun, I'm not sure if it's illegal. R&R Enjoy.

* * *

Hermione made her way up to her bedroom. It was decorated with pictures of Harry, Ron and her. Her favorite picture with them was at Hogmeade. They had just come out of the Three Broomsticks and were having a snow fight. Ron got hit between the eyes by Harry. She smiled as it kept repeating over and over again. Hermione went to her trunk and took out a new picture. It wasa pictureof Draco smirking (very sexily by the way) and winking at her. Also she took out the diary Draco had given her. She tried to open it for the millionth time but it wouldn't budge. Hermione moaned in exasperation. She took out a bit of parchment and began to write.

She rolled it up and attached it to Geniseve's leg. She gave her a treat and said "Draco Malfoy, Hogwarts"

X

Draco walked in soaking wet. He had been flying when it had started to rain. He didn't know what was stranger that it was raining during the winter when it should be snowing, or the lethal looking cloud that was lurking over a part of the forbidden forest.

He remembered it was a day like this when he bumped into Hermione in the bathroom. Draco rubbed the scar on his eyebrow. He went into his room and saw a familiar owl pecking at the window. He let it in and gave it a treat. He untied the note, sat on his bed and began to read.

_Dear Draco, _

_How are you so far? I do hope you're okay. Wrecking havoc and mayhem where ever you go I suppose? Just make sure Hogwarts is still in tact when we return. I'd like to thank you for the gift. It's absolutely beautiful. Too bad I can't open it. I've tried almost all of the unlocking spells I know, and it still won't open. Must be amusing for you, but hell for me. _Draco smiled. It did amuse him._ However, I guess it is the thought that counts._

_My parents are having this dinner party in two days, most of my relatives are coming. And guess what? You're invited! Okay, I know before you say no, think about it. It'll be fun, and you won't be cooped up in that castle doing Merlin knows what. There is no problem with transportation because I'm now hooked up to the Floo Network. My address is 74 Rocher Ave, Lancashire Great Britain. Do reply soon. Happy Christmas. _

_Hermione _

"I'll go when trees and monkeys sprout out of my ass and start slinging crap each other," he said bitterly to himself. Then he headed for the shower.

Fifteen minutes later Draco came out of the showers and looked outside. It seemed deserted. He liked his solitude, but this was getting creepy. He took a roll of parchment and began to write.

X

"So, who did you invite to come tomorrow?" asked Hermione's mother.

"Oh, just a few friends," replied Hermione "Pass the salt please,"

Hermione's dad passed the salt. "Oh, like who?" asked her father.

"You know, Ron, Harry…Draco," she coughed.

"Draco?" her mother asked, "And who's he?"

Hermione blushed and played with her pot roast.

"Must be pretty important, if he makes you blush," her father teased.

"I don't even know if he's coming, he hasn't returned my letter," Hermione said.

"Until now," replied her father pointing to the window with his fork.

Hermione turned around and saw an angry looking eagle owl pecking at the window. She opened it began to peck at her viciously. She quickly gave it a treat and shoved it out the window.

"Bloody bird," she said to her self. She opened it and it read:

_Hermione,_

_About Harper, he was trained to do that to muggle-borns. I knew you'd like your gift. The reason why you can't open there is a second part to it. I'm surprised you didn't figure that out for yourself, Ms. Know-It-All. Anyways, about me going to that dinner, I'll go because of sheer boredom. Don't get your hopes up. There is absolutely nothing here. Pity really. Wrecking havoc and mayhem? Ha, I wish. So, I'll see you in two days. _

_Happy Christmas, _

_Draco_

Hermione smiled and looked up at her parents. "He's coming,"

X

Green flame spontaneously burst in the Granger's fireplace. In place of the green fire was a six foot two fiery-red headed man and a messy black haired man.

"Harry! Ron!" Hermione shouted running hugging them both.

"Hey Hermione," replied Harry.

"Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year 'Mione," greeted Ron. Just then Mrs. and Mr. Granger walked into the kitchen.

"Harry and Ron, such a pleasure to see you again," welcomed Mr. Granger.

"Pleasure to be here," Harry replied.

"Everyone's in the living room," said Mrs. Granger. Harry and Ron nodded and left for the living room, Hermione followed.

"Bloody hell, what's that?" Ron asked pointing to the black box with moving pictures.

"That's the television, Ron," answered Harry.

"Wicked…" replied Ron. Hermione shook her head and laughed. She saw a green light in the kitchen and knew who it was. She walked to the kitchen.

"Draco!" she shouted with a smile when she saw the blonde haired boy in the fireplace brushing the soot from his clothing. Then she heard two voices behind her.

"MALFOY!" shouted Ron.

"MALFOY?" shouted Harry.

"Hi, we're Hermione's parents, you must be Draco," said Hermione's dad shaking his hand.

(A/N: I thought of ending it here, but it would be too short, and a bit cruel)

"Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger," Draco replied shaking their hands.

_If the Voldemort could see me now… The ole fart would have a stroke…_

Draco gave Hermione a quick peck on the cheek, looked up and saw Harry and Ron's faces contorted with confusion, anger, surprise and maybe even a bit of gas.

"Pothead, Weaselbee," Draco nodded nonchalantly.

Hermione turned around and laughed nervously. "Happy Christmas guys," She then turned around to Draco and glared and dragged him into the bathroom.

"I want you to behave," she said seriously.

"Wanted a quick shag before we meet the rest of the family, I see," Draco drawled seeming to ignore what she just said.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm serious!"

"I will if they do," he said calmly.

"Draco..." she warned.

"Fine," he pouted "Bossyboots…"

"What did you just call me?"

"Bossyboots," he said calmly.

"Don't call me that!" she said crossing her arms.

"Bossyboots," he said getting closer to her, "Boosyboots," he teased, poking her on the shoulder, "Boosyboots," he said innocently kissing her.

She looked at him and a smile came on her face. "You are so retarded," she said starting to open the door.

"I'm your favorite retarded person aren't I?"

When she opened the door, she heard an 'ouch' and knew exactly what was going on.

"Harry, Ron were you eavesdropping?" she said slightly smiling.

"No…" lied Harry not looking at her face.

"You guys are disgusting," Ron muttered.

X

Hermione's uncles, cousins, friends (even though no one but Harry and her relativesknew what was going on) and dad were completely engulfed in watching football, while her aunts, cousins, and mom were cooking dinner. She was taking care of her little cousins, nieces and nephews.

"Aunt Mia!" said Zachary "I wanna watch that!" pointing to the TV guide, which had "The Year without a Santa Claus,"

"Mia?" Harry asked.

"Oh, well they can't say Hermione, so it was first Mione, but can't say that either, so it evolved to 'My-E', then just Mia,"

"Interesting," mumbled Ron.

"When commercials come okay?"

"Fine!" Zach pouted. Then a commercial came on about 'oxyclean'.

"Well, just your luck, it's commercials," Hermione took the remote and changed it to the channel. It was the part where the Snow Miser was singing.

"Ooh!" shouted Hermione.

Draco, Harry and Ron looked at her like she had two heads.

She began to sing.

"_I'm Mister White Christmas, I'm Mister Snow._

_I'm Mister Icicle, I'm Mister Ten Below._

_Friends call me Snow Miser, What ever I touch, Turns to snow in my clutch--I'm too much!"_

"She's gone mental, Hermione has," Ron said as he elbowed Harry. Harry nodded.

"_He's Mister White Christmas, He's Mister Snow  
_

_That's right!  
_

_He's Mister Icicle, He's Mister Ten Below.  
_

_Friends call me Snow Miser, What ever I touch Turns to snow in my clutch._

_He's too much!  
_

_I never want to see a day that's over forty degrees. I'd rather have it thirty, twenty, ten, five and let it freeeeEEEEEEeeze!"_ sang Hermione.

Draco had never known Hermione to be like that. Back in his Hermione-hating days he had always thought of her as an ice-queen. But seeing her like this was a new experience, it was like she was drunk, that or snorting paint remover. However, it was cute.

Hermione finished and looked around. She saw the weird looks she was getting. "What?"

"And I'm retarded?" said Draco.

"Dinner!" he heard Mrs. Granger say.

X

Who knew muggles cooked so well? His mother never cooked, but who needs to when you've got enough house elves to feed a starving third world country?

Hermione was surprised. No cursing, no hexing, to stabbing, no biting. Everything was going by perfectly. Harry, Ron and Draco had even taken part in their boring (to Hermione anyways) conversation about Quidditch.

"It's time for Christmas songs!" Draco heard one of Hermione's aunts shout. He saw Hermione's face light up.

"Okay, every one to the piano!" shouted Leah. He remembered her name because she offered him a beer called Hine-E-Kin.

"All right every one, we'll be listening to a song sang by Hermione!" her mother introduced. Harry, Ron and Draco's eyes grew round. Hermione stood in front of the Christmas tree wearing those Santa Claus hats and a red dress that was much shorter than what she would usually wear. She nodded at Leah who was playing the piano began to sing.

"_Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree, for me_

_I've been an awful good girl_

_Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight_

_Santa baby, an out-of-space convertible too, light blue_

_I'll wait up for you dear_

_Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight_

_Think of all the fun I've missed_

_Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed_

_Next year I could be oh so good_

_If you'd check off my Christmas list_

_Boo doo bee doo_

She was almost singing it… seductively.

_Santa honey, I wanna yacht and really that's_

_Not a lot_

_I've been an angel all year_

_Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight_

_Santa cutie, there's one thing I really do need, the deed_

Hermione was looking directly at Draco now.

_To a platinum mine_

_Santa cutie, and hurry down the chimney tonight_

_Santa baby, I'm filling my stocking with a duplex, and checks_

_Sign your 'X' on the line_

_Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight_

_Come and trim my Christmas tree_

_With some decorations bought at Tiffany's_

_I really do believe in you_

_Let's see if you believe in me_

_Boo doo bee doo_

_Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring_

_I don't mean a phone_

_Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight_

_Hurry down the chimney tonight_

_Hurry down the chimney tonight,"_

Everyone clapped. Draco glupped.

A/n: Hehe… Merry Christmas indeed. R&R


	15. Weapons of Mass Destruction

Disclaimer: If I owned HP, you'd be the first to know. Until then, I do not own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling does.

A/n: Sorry about that loonng wait, I just haven't had any inspiration. It's been weird, when I'm in the car, I get this strong urge to write, but as soon as I step foot into my house, it goes away. -Sigh- I need a laptop. Oh, -Ahem- Hermione sort of has this semi-psycho dad. He's that or really over protective. Lol.

**_Eight days later, January 5th_**

Hermione was sitting in the library studying for her Charms exam. The truth was that for some reason she couldn't study, which didn't happen very often. She was dazedly daydreaming about what had happened over Christmas holidays. It was a very hectic vacation. That announcement that her mother had mentioned earlier at the train station was actually a baby! Her mum was four months pregnant, and he/she was due in May. Hermione had thought her mum had gained some weight, but even if you are a boy or girl, never ever, tell a female she is gaining weight, unless it that gaining weight was intentional. It might be the last thing you'll ever do.

She fumbled with the charm bracelet that was dangling from her wrist. Draco had given it to her after the baby announcement. It was the key for the diary. What you're supposed to do it lay it across the spine of the book. That's why the imprints were on the spine for. Even she hadn't of thought of that. That way, no one can open your diary with magic, or some kind of key pick. Very clever. Of course she returned the favor even though he said he didn't want a gift. Being Captain and seeker of the Slytherin Quidditch team, of course he would have an interest in the sport. She gave him a book that always updated on the latest Quidditch games and facts. She was rewarded with heated snogging sessions in her room, when most people were downstairs contentedly discussing about the baby. Harry and Ron, they were eating. (Her mum was an excellent cook. They even took some food home.) Little did he know that she gave a relatively familiar book to Harry and Ron. If only they could push aside petty differences and realize they were more alike they they'd like to admit.

One of the most memorable moments at the Grangers' was after everyone had left. Her dad went all NYPD on Draco.

_FLASHBACK  
_

"_Bye Henry!" her mother shouted as Mr. Granger shook Uncle Bert's hand._

"_I'm telling you, they're watching," said a drunken Uncle Bert, "And they're looking for me," _

"_Sure they are," Mr. Granger replied as he showed him out. _

_Mr. and Mrs. Granger turned around to see Draco and Hermione chatting quietly on the sofa. Draco turned to them. _

"_I guess, I should leave," he said standing up and extending his hand to shake Mr. Grangers "Thank you for dinner and hospitality," _

"_Oh no you don't," Mr. Granger interjected. Draco looked baffled and sent Hermione a look that clearly showed he was a bit confused. _

"_John!" her mother hissed. _

"_Not now, Helen, dim the lights please," _

_Mrs. Granger gave Draco a sympathetic look and went over to flick the switch. The room was almost pitch black, until a bright light shone on only Draco's face. _

"_Oh god, not again," Hermione whispered to her self.  
_

_The last time her father did this is was to her cousin's boyfriend. Her cousin, Gina, had always been like a sister to her, and a daughter to her parents. Her boyfriend almost had a stroke. It's very scary when Mr. Granger goes into overprotective mode. _

_Draco's eyes darted all over and across the room. He seemed to be looking for an escape. _

"_Er…"  
_

"_Draco…Malfoy, if that is your real name," Mr. Granger questioned. _

Draco nodded. "It is,"

"_Tell me, why are you dating my daughter?" Mr. Granger asked as he fixed the flashlight into Draco's face. _

"_Er…well you see-," _

"What are your motives?"

"_My mot-  
_

"_You're here to just shag her, aren't you?" _

"_Daddy!" shouted Hermione. _

"_Um…" said Draco looking like he was about to wet himself. _

"_WRONG ANSWER!" _

"_You want the truth?" asked Draco. _

"_The truth? YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" _

"Give the boy a break, John!" Mrs. Granger pleaded putting a hand on Mr. Granger's shoulder. .

_  
Draco gulped. Stupid muggles and their light sticks. It was strange, one minute he's Hermione's cheerful and merry dad, the next he's this overprotective father. It was like watching Jekyll and Hyde.  
_

"_Look, I'm dating and I came here because I respect and care about Hermione, I don't have any ulterior motives, and if I wanted to shag, anybody, I wouldn't have gone to her," _

_Mr. Granger glared at Draco. _

"_Helen, please put the lights back on," Mr. Granger finally said as he reached for Draco's hand and shook it. "Take care of Hermione," he said with a smile, "But if you break her heart, I'll hunt you down like a dog," _

_  
FLASHBACK_

"It stings, Severus"

"Don't worry, it's completely normal," explained Snape, "As long as no one sees it, you're fine,"

"Absolutely ridiculous," Draco said to himself.

"Like this… liaison you have with Ms. Granger?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Not this again,"

"You dating her will blow your cover!"

"Who's going to find out?"

"Who's going to find out? The whole school already knows!" shouted Snape "You know very well the Dark Lord has scouts around the castle! If you continue this relationship with Ms. Granger, you are basically killing her! They _will_ kill her!"

Draco sighed and fingered the bandages on his forearm. "I know," he finally said.

"If you are so infatuated with Ms. Granger you have to let her go," Snape softly.

"I've got to go," Draco said as looked up at Snape and left the dungeons.

X

She didn't notice a certain blond hair wizard proudly strolling into the library and sitting down next to her.

"Hello," Hermione said cheerfully.

Draco sighed and glanced and picked up the book sent her a weird look. "Charms? This isn't do until three weeks,"

Hermione try to grab the book back but Draco just stood up and dangled it above her head. Ah, the disadvantages of being short.

"Stop playing around! You're going to get us kicked out of the library," Hermione whispered, "I need to finish studying!"

"Au Contraire," Draco teased, "You weren't studying, you were daydreaming about my total and perpetual shagablilty," Draco taunted as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You are such a pompous git, now give it!"

Draco smirked. "Coming up a little short aren't we?"

"Just like that thing in your pants," she said smugly. Draco gaped then glared at her.

"Wat chu talkin' bout Granger?" he said in a Gary Coleman in the Facts of Life sort of tone. "I'll have you know that-"

"Trouble in paradise?" said a voice from behind him.

"Calvin, hey!" Hermione said warmly.

"Hey Hermione, we're having a prefect meeting at six in two hours," he said with a smile as he grabbed the book Draco was holding and gave it to Hermione at the same time bowing.

"M'lady," he said sneaking a sly glance towards Draco's way.

"Thank you kind sir," she said giving a mock-curtsy oblivious.

"Thank you kind sir," Draco mocked in baby-tone "Completely pathetic…" he said crossing his arms.

Calvin gave a smile and left. Draco glared at Hermione.

"What?" she asked.

"You were flirting with him!"

"I did no such thing!" Hermione shouted

"Shhhh! Quiet!" interrupted Madam Pince.

"Oh please," he said as he rolled his eyes, "Thank you kind sir?" How could you even flirt with him when he looks like…that?" he said pointing to the door. Hermione sent him a look as she packed her bags and was heading towards the door.

"Someone's a little jealous," Hermione drawled.

"Jealous!" Draco shouted "Me?" he laughed "You are delusional, my little Gryffindor pet. The boy looks like a frog or something, I don't want you to get warts, so stay away"

"I can see anyone I want. Besides, I have to see him, he _is_ temporary Head Boy," Hermione said, "I believe someone's mad because _they_ are no longer Head Boy,"

"Kicking Weasly's ass was worth it," Draco said defiantly, "Besides, it's only because I can't serve detention and do my duties at the same time. I'll be out in a month,"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Calvin," Draco snorted "More like Kermit the frog,"

X

Pansy put on her black robes and cast a silence spell onto her feet as she ran through the Hogwarts castle. She was almost out of the Hogwarts castle when she heard a meow. It was Filch and Mrs. Norris. She took out her wand and tapped her head twice.

"Invisiblus," she said quietly. In a snap of a finger, Pansy was nowhere to be found.

X _  
_

She was in the heart of the forbidden forest. The wind was stronger, and the air got colder. Pansy knew she was getting closer. 'This better be worth it,' she thought.

"I might as well say it now," she said to herself. She cleared her throat.

_"Era of Obscurum_

_Era of Nox noctis_

_Era of Decor Quod_

_Era of Vires ego adeo vos is_

_Plenus luna nox noctis_

_Succurro mihi triumphus_

_Sic ego may smitus_

_Era of Obscurum_

_Quod Era of Nox noctis…"_

She chanted this three times. At first the wind seemed to blow stronger, stinging her face, and the howls and air had gotten more distinct. Then it was just quiet. The howls had stopped, and the wind vanished. She sighed and took a step. Suddenly roots sprouted from the ground wrapping around Pansy's body and stifling her screams. She slowly began to sink into the earth.

X

Hermione tiptoed quietly down the stairs to the Head's common room only to see a slightly snoring Draco on the sofa. She smiled and sat down on the sofa facing the silently crackling fireplace.

"You're up late," suddenly said Draco groggily. He looked at the time "1:00 am,"

"Couldn't sleep, what are you doing down here?" Hermione whispered as she curled up and took out a book. Draco shrugged.

"Nothing," he said quietly as he rubbed his eyes "What is that monstrosity on your feet?" he said half-asleep, and half-curious.

Hermione looked down at her feet. "My bunny slippers?" she quietly laughed "Their not monstrosities,"

"Stop lying to yourself, they are," he winced "Take them off, for the sake of humanity"

"No, I'm not taking orders from you," she said as she open up her book and began to read.

"Your feet are ugly aren't they?" he said curiously.

Hermione gaped at him. "My feet are not ugly!"

"Sure they aren't," Draco replied not believing her, "If they aren't, then take them off,"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ignoring you," she said out loud.

"Let's see, you like to flirt with Ravenclaws, and your feet are atrocious little demons that will destroy the world if you take you slippers off… Anything else I need to know? C'mon, we're on a roll," Draco drawled.

Hermione coughed and turned the page.

"I just wanted to see if they could start biological warfare," Draco continued, "Or, what do you call it? If they can be used as weapons of mass destruction,"

Hermione couldn't stop herself from laughing. "You are such a prat," she said as she took off her slippers. Her feet were dainty and creamy color with the nails painted a light pink.

"See, they cannot be used for biological warfare," she said defiantly. "Anyways, they're normal, now please let me finish my book,"

Draco looked at them with interest. "They're small…" he began "Like…peanuts,"

Hermione rolled her eyes and chuckled. she began "You're comparing my feet to peanuts? Real poetic, Malfoy,"

Draco rolled to his back and crossed his arms. "Bossyboots,"

X

Pansy woke up on cold dirt floor. She looked up and saw she was in a hall. It was dark, with one candle in the middle of the room, and a throne of roots at the head of the hall. The rest seemed to go on and on into the shadows. She looked around until she saw someone come out of the shadows. It was lady of absolute beauty in a dark robe. She pulled back her hood only to reveal a face. Her skin was of metallic silver, her hair black and long. She opened her eyes, and they were as red as blood.

"You rang?"

A/n: Made it longer than usual to make up for the time I didn't update. Er… anywayz stay tune! Your reviews are what keep me going! R&R.


	16. Devious Planning

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all familiar characters do not belong to me.

A/n: Sorry for not updating sooner! It's longer than usual, but I guess that's a good thing. And now back to the show!

X

The lady in the black hood had a deep rich accent. She may have spoken only two words, but those words ran like silk.

"W-where am I?" Pansy stuttered, looking around nervously.

The lady smiled. "Think of this as my underground palace," she began "You have been searching for me, yes?"

Pansy nodded.

"Did you not see the signs?" the lady asked "The sudden change of weather? Or the clouds lurking over my part of the forest?"

Pansy shook her head.

"I was calling for you. But of course," she said smoothly "The times are changing, your generation does not recognize signs and symbols of -,"

"Yes, well, I need your help," Pansy finally said.

"I know, your heart belongs to a young man," Maiden of the Macabre spoke, "He is quite handsome, but, his soul is dark and troublesome,"

"Draco," Pansy said breathlessly.

"He is with someone, is he not?"

Pansy nodded. "He is,"

The lady looked into Pansy's eyes. "Are you sure you want to destroy this bond?" she asked.

"I do," Pansy said defiantly, "And I am the one he's supposed to be with. He just… doesn't know it yet"

"Such foolishness," the lady replied.

"What?" Pansy said as she got up and dusted herself off.

"His heart does not b-,"

"Don't finish that sentence," warned Pansy, "Are you going to help me or what?" .

"Very well," she said, "Under one condition,"

"And that is?" replied Pansy.

"I will help those who help themselves," the lady said with a smirk, "In other words, you break this bond, and I will do the rest,"

"Deal," Pansy agreed.

With a wave of the lady's hand, Pansy was back in her bed in the Slytherin Girl Dormitories.

Pansy smirked and fell onto her bed.

X

"Please stop staring at me, Harry" ordered Hermione.

Ron, Harry and Hermione were studying in the library. Naturally, Harry and Ron didn't do it willingly. They had to though; she was very scary, especially when it came to academics. Hermione was like Hitler. All she needed was the really bad hair, a moustache and speak German.

Between you and me, Ron wasn't really studying, he may look like he was reading a ridiculously large book, but he was really reading the latest edition of _Quidditch_.

"Sorry, it's just… never mind," Harry said discouraged.

"If it's so important that it distracts you from studying for our exams then out with it," she said simply putting her book down.

"I've been thinking," Harry began, "Well, it's about you and Malfoy,"

"Well, I just have this lurking feeling," Harry said looking at the table. Then, he looked at Hermione. "How do you know he isn't a Death Eater?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Harry, I appreciate your concern but Draco is not like that, trust me,"

"I don't know about that Hermione," intervened Ron "Have you seen his, you know, his forearm?"

"Guys, thanks but I'm fine. _We're_ fine," said Hermione. "Now, back to studying! There is going to be hell to pay if I get anything below an Outstanding.

Harry and Ron sent each other looks.

"I hope you're right Hermione, I really hope you're right," said Harry to himself.

X

"Gather 'round!" Hagrid said assembling the students around him. "Today we're goin' down ter the lake! It's goin' t' be a real treat. Now follow me," he said as he began to head towards the lake.

"Oh goodie, what hideous, hazardous, life-threatening creature is Hagrid going to introduce us to today?" asked Ron mock-cheerfully.

"If were lucky, we might meet a basilisk! Remember how much fun we had with one down in the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry said as he played along.

Hermione shook her head. "Honestly guys,"

"Hey, as long as I don't get mauled by another murderous creature, I'm fine," Draco said bitterly walking behind Hermione.

" 'Ere we are," he said spreading his arms over the lake.

"Whoopty-doo," said Draco sarcastically, "Dirty water,"

Hagrid took searched for something in his coat and took out an object that looked like a stick. He blew on it, and music flowed from the object. At first nothing happened, but then there were ripples in the water. Suddenly, out jumped a blue-green creature. Hagrid turned to the students and smiled.

The students took one look at the creature and took one giant step back.

Hagrid laughed lightly. "It won't hurt cha, this is a hippocampus,"

"I bet it has a even more ridiculous name, no doubt," Draco commented to the Slytherins behind him, "Something more ridiculous than stupid chicken, Buckbeak," he said with a smirk. The Slytherins laughed.

" 'er name is Hannah," Hagrid said to the students.

Hermione turned to Draco. "You were saying?" she said laughing.

Draco mock-sneered at Hermione.

Hermione turned back to the creature and studied it carefully.

It's front quarters like a horse and the back, instead of hind feet, it had a giant fish tail. Along the jaw, spine and area where the hair would be on a regular horse were fins. It neighed softly.

"Now, hippocampi are very dangerous, when threatened. They are domesticated by merpeople, but are very peaceful. They are very intelligent creatures and are omnivores. Which mean they eat meat, like small fish and plants, like seaweed," Hagrid explained turning to the students and smiling.

"That's it?" Ron asked "Um…Hagrid, what exactly are we supposed to do with it? Stand here and stare at it?" Ron asked.

"Well, I was thinkin' maybe one of yer would like t' ride it," Hagrid said innocently.

Ron turned to Harry. "He's trying to kill us, he is," he whispered.

"How can we ride it, if it's a sea creature?" asked Hermione.

"Gillyweed, o' course," Hagrid replied.

"But those effects last for an hour, tell me you don't expect us to ride t-that thing for a few minutes and go walking about with gills and webbed feet," Seamus said.

_There was a feeling.A feeling thathad Hermione believing shewas being watched. _

"Don't worry, this gillyweed only last fer a few minutes. There's some kinda shortening potion, that when added to any type of potion or magic it'm or plant in our case, makes the effects shortened" Hagrid explained.

He took out the slimy looking plant and put two drops of the shortening spell and replied "Now, now, step forward if you'd like to ride 'er," Hagrid said feeding Hannah some seaweed. He turned around to see no one step forward.

_She turned around to Draco, but he was talking to the Slytherins._

"All right, Longbottom," Hagrid began. "Thanks fer volunteerin'"

"W-what?" Neville squeaked.

_Hermione turned to Ron and Harry but they weren't even facing her direction._

Neville stepped forward slowly and took a bite of the gillyweed.

_Hermione looked towards the Hogwarts castle and saw someone in a black cloak running behind a tree. She was snapped out her trance by Neville. Each time he came out of the water, he would scream like a girl and hold on to the hippocampus for dear life._

"Don't worry, yer safe!" said Hagrid chasing Neville across the lake. "Just be quiet, you might wake up the giant squid!"

"SQUID!" Neville asked when coming up from the water. "MUM!"

Hagrid quickly took out the whistle and blew on it. Hannah stopped almost immediately and swam to shore.

Neville fell like a tree when he stepped on dry land.

"He looks a bit green," someone commented.

"No that's, jus the effect of the gillyw-" Hagrid looked down to see Neville had thrown up on his shoes.

Ron chuckled and nudged Harry. "Seems like he got the white scared back in him," he said smiling.

X

Pansy snuck out of the Hogwarts. She saw someone behind a tree.

"Malum est perfectus," Pansy said.

"Perfectus est Malum," the cloaked figure replied.

"Good, now, you and I want the same thing, right?" Pansy said.

The cloaked figure nodded.

"Well, I have this plan," Pansy started, "And I need someone smart," Pansy smirked "That's where you come in,"

X

_**Half a month later – January 20th**_

"Hello, I am Firenze, I will be taking the place of Professor Trelawney, who unfortunately had one of her episodes of the future and ended up jumping out of the window," he began "Luckily to say, she is still alive, and though unluckily has broken her leg, her arm and most of her ribs,"

Some students laughed.

"Today, we will be learning the art of aura reading. An aura is an energy field that is held to radiate from a living being. Now, there are two kinds of energies. Does any one know what they are?"

"Negative and Positive," Parvati stated.

"Very good," Firenze said "Those energies give out different kinds of feelings," he walked around the students, "Of course, negative give out bad feelings, and positive, good,"

As Firenze was walking past Draco and he stopped and turned towards Draco's direction.

"A great negative aura is around you," Firenze said. Draco rolled his eyes. "A great word of caution to you," Firenze warned.

And as Firenze was heading towards the front of the room, he stopped again, looked down and made a face. "Can someone fetch the pooper scooper?"

X

Hermione and Draco sat in the Head's common room doing their homework. Hermione was completing her Ancient Runes and Draco had just finished studying for his Defense of the Dark Arts exam. He sat and studied her. Maybe it was how the firelight reflected on her, but she looked prettier than he had ever seen her. Even with her hair in a messy bun with her wand in it or the way she bit her bottom lip when she was thinking, she was beautiful. He thought to himself.

"_Oh. Bloody. Hell. I'm turning into those damn sappy lovesick people!" He mentally slapped himself. "PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER MAN!"_

Hermione looked up to see Draco staring at her. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"What?" she asked. "Do I have a boogie?" she said as she covered her nose. Draco came into focus and smiled.

"No," he said as he laughed quietly "Just, er… hungry I guess," he lied.

Hermione knew something was wrong, but knew not to push it and just smiled.

"Okay, I'll go down to the kitchens and get us some snacks," she said while getting up, "Want anything?"

"Surprise me," he answered with a small smile.

As he heard Hermione leave the common room, he stared into the fire. He was going to have to tell her sooner or later. It was better she heard it from him, than having to find out from someone else. The problem was, when was the right time? Between classes, homework, Pothead and Weaselbee, snogging, and other stuff, he never had the time to tell her. He heard someone coming and turned to the portrait door. It was Hermione.

"That was fast," he commented as he looked at her empty hands. He stood up. "Where are the-"

Something was different about Hermione. She was following him around the room and with a savage look on her face.

"Hermione?" he asked backing away from her. "I know you can't stand all this sexiness but you're sca- you're being odd,"

X

Hermione walked back to the Head Common Room with chocolate frogs, bottles of butterbeer, licorice wands, and pumpkin pasties. Hermione had always had sweet tooth, but she had never been able to satisfy it, until now. She turned the corner and noticed that the portrait was open. Last time, the portrait had a brush; this time the portrait had a mirror.

"How did you do that?" the portrait asked Hermione. Hermione ignored her and figured she wasn't talking about anything related to her. What Hermione saw shocked the hell out of her.

X

Hermione shoved him down onto the sofa and kissed him barbarically. Something was horribly different. Hermione's kisses were almost gentle and loving, this, this was needy and sloppy. He struggled to get her off.

When he did, he looked up to see the eyes of Pansy Parkinson. His eyes widened in shock. He jumped to from his seat and turned to the door. That is when he saw Hermione clutching her mouth in shock. She dropped her bags of food and ran.

X

"Hermione!" Draco shouted as he chased after her in the hallways. He turned the corner and saw Hermione catching her breathe leaning on a statue of a giant owl.

"Get away from me!" Hermione shouted at Draco with tears in her eyes, as she backed away.

"Hermione, I didn't know it was you," Draco explained.

"Rubbish!" Hermione shouted.

" 'Mione…"

"How could you do this!" she shouted.

"Hermione, you know me! More than anyone else in this castle," Draco said walking towards Hermione.

She backed away. "I thought I knew you too," she said quietly "Harry and Ron were right," she almost whispered.

"What in bloody hell do they have to do with any of this?" Draco shouted. Just mentioning Potter and Weasly's name was a pet peeve for him.

"Show me your arm," Hermione said sternly.

"What?" asked Draco confused.

"You heard me," Hermione said speaking a bit louder.

Draco stood there and watched her.

"Just show me your arm, Draco!" she shouted.

With his eyes still on Hermione, he roughly unbuttoned his cuff and showed Hermione the Dark Mark that contrasted with his milky skin.

She looked at it, and for the first time through this whole disaster, tears fell from her eyes.

She shook her head as she backed away from him. "You had a choice!" She finally said.

"No I didn't!" Draco shouted back "You think I want this?" Draco asked showing her the Dark Mark again.

"I don't know!" Hermione said throwing her hands in the air. "Do you?" she said crossing her arms.

"Of course not, Hermione, I had no say, no choice at all," he said once again.

Hermione looked at the Dark Mark through the tears that made her eyes blurry.

"Maybe you're right," she whispered, "Even though you act as though you had complete control over your life, you never did," she said harshly.

Draco closed his eyes. What Hermione had said however harsh, was true. It was like his life could be summed up in three words: "Dance, Monkey, Dance!"

"It was all a game to you," she said,

"No, Hermione-" Draco interrupted.

"Listen!" Hermione shouted, "You never cared, I was just some toy, some _mudblood_ you could play with then put away," she said cruelly.

There was silence. "And to think," she said, "I loved you," she whispered loud enough for Draco to hear.

Draco eyes shot up and looked Hermione in the eyes.

"What a waste," she said. Before Draco got to say anything, she was gone.

A/N: I know, I'm evil, I would tell you everything would be okay, but I don't even know that. You may not have gotten that pooper scooper thing. Um... well, have you ever been near a horse and they poop? Well, I've always though that they had no control over their bodily functions. Lol, it was funny for me. Heh. Okay! R&R. Thanks for reading!


	17. Satisfying Revenge

A/n: One of my longest chapters yet! Fourteen pages on Microsoft Word! Well, I hope this gets you through the days or weeks until my next update. Oh yeah! Before I forget, this chapter as some cursing in it. Enjoy and R&R!

Draco was left in the dark of the empty corridor with only the flickering torches illuminating his face. He stood staring at the spot Hermione had just been. She loved him. And it had just been shattered to pieces in a matter of minutes. His sadness was soon turned to rage as he thought of the cause of it all. _Her. _

He turned back to the Head's common room. There was going to be hell to pay.

X

Hermione walked crossing her arms as turned the corner to go to the only place she felt a bit better. It was the Gryffindor common room. She really needed to talk someone.

She looked at the Fat Lady with tears in her eyes, telling her self not to breakdown.

"What is it dear?" the portrait asked.

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "_Diligo est losus_," she said quietly.

The Fat Lady opened up. "I hope you feel better,"

"Thank you," Hermione said quietly.

She walked in the GCR to see the only people she really wanted to see.

The two men looked up from the chessboard from where they were playing.

"Hermione!" Ron said first, but then saw her solemn expression, "Bloody hell, what happened?" He asked.

Harry got up, put his arm around her and put his chin on her head. Hermione couldn't help it, she cried in his shoulder.

X

Draco walked back, well, really speed walked back to see the Head's Common Room empty. He closed the portrait door and went to pay a visit to the Slytherin Dungeons.

"Look who it is," the portrait said, "I was beginning you forgot about Slytherin,"

"_Ferveo_," Draco said hotly. The portrait opened up. When Draco walked in the common room looking like a volcano ready to blow at any minute.

"WHERE IS SHE?" Draco yelled.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him.

"Who?" asked a fifth year.

"PARKINSON," he shouted.

The timid third year pointed to the girl dormitories.

He walked fuming to the foot of the girl's dormitories. He inhaled and exhaled slowly.

"Pansy, dear," he said as politely as he could.

I know, I know, but he had to sound like he was okay; she wouldn't come down if he sounded if he was some sort of caveman with a giant club ready to hammer her to death. Which to Draco, didn't sound like a bad idea right about now.

"Yes?" he heard her say timidly.

"Come down, will you?" he said, growing already irritated of this annoyingly calm voice he was using.

"You're not mad?" she asked.

"No, of course not," he lied. Well, he wasn't mad. He was beyond mad. He was enraged.

There was silence. "Okay," she replied slowly coming down the stairs. Once she put a foot down on the Slytherin Common Room floor, Draco grabbed her arm.

"OUT!" he shouted at the people in the common room and they were out like a fat kid in a dodge ball game.

X

Hermione stay sitting in the GCR's chair with her head on her knees and arms wrapped around them. Harry was looking at the fire and Ron sitting on the sofa.

"So, it's over," Harry said quietly, trying not to hold a fiesta. Hermione nodded. She told them everything. About the fight, about Draco and Parkinson, everything except the Dark Mark part. Something told her she should keep quiet about that.

"Go ahead, say it," she said.

"Say what?" Ron asked.

"You told me so," she said bitterly, "I should have listened to you. I was just so damn stubborn,"

"It's okay," Harry said, "We understand that you… liked him," struggling to say the words. It was like venom on his tongue.

"I'm just going to stay here for the night, can one of you stay here with me?" She asked, "I don't feel like being alone," she said quietly.

"I'll stay with you," Harry volunteered.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

Ron looked at the time. Midnight. "It's getting late, I'll talk to you later. I really do you hope you feel better, Hermione," he said sincerely.

She looked up and gave him a small smile.

X

Draco paced the Slytherin Common Room while a nervous looking Pansy watched.

"I…I don't even know where to fucking begin with you!" he shouted.

"Draco, it was for the best," she pleaded, "I couldn't let you taint your-"

"Stop lying to yourself!" he boomed, "It was never about _me_, Parkinson, it was always about you!" he shouted, "You are full of shit!"

"No, that's not how it happened!" she said in a whiny voice of hers.

"Shut the BLOODY HELL up, Parkinson!"

This seemed to piss her off.

"You shut up! You never treat me with respect; I treat you like a king! A king Draco, and you choose that mudblood bitch over me?" she shouted pointing towards the entrance.

This seemed to fuel his anger more. He turned to the fireplace. At first he seemed still, until he grabbed a vase and threw it against the wall.

"You're such a selfish little bitch!" Draco shouted wit his fists in balls, "I HATE YOU, Pansy!"

"Hate me?" she said with tears in her eyes, "You have no idea what you're missing!"

"Missing?" He laughed to himself, " I'd like to pass on the STDs please," he said boiling.

"Oh don't you dare degrade me on how many guys I've been with, I did it to make you jealous!" Pansy said rigid with her fists in balls and feet stomping the ground.

"It pretty much backfired, didn't it!" he shouted, "Just tell me, how'd you do it?"

"It doesn't matter, now you're as miserable as me!" she shouted with a twisted smirk on her face, "You don't get it, you were supposed to be with me! We are betrothed!"

"If I gave fuck about us being betrothed and old traditions, I wouldn't have been with Hermione!" he shouted "What makes you think, I would want such a clingy, unattractive, pitiful, desperate, obsessive, whorey wench like _you_!"

Pansy at first looked shocked, but she lifted her head up defiantly, "Then tell me this, why would you want an ugly, boring, dull, know-it-all, bossy mudblood bitch, like Hermione Granger!"

Draco stalked towards Pansy. She backed away from him until she hit the wall. Draco raised his hand to strike her, but his hand landed right next to her ear.

"You are so lucky you're a girl," he said so quiet, it was eerie.

X

Hermione lay cuddled up to Harry on the Gryffindor Common Room couch and as she listened to his steady heartbeat. He always made her safe. Which was ironic, because being friends with Harry Potter had never been a safe thing.

She woke up in the middle of the night to find herself alone. Or so she thought. "Harry?" she said groggily. Surprisingly, the fire was alive, but barely.

"Boo," someone said in the darkness. Hermione jumped and grabbed her wand from beneath the pillow. Only it wasn't there.

"Harry, is that you?" Hermione said trying to hide the fear in her voice, "Stop playing, this isn't funny, you know I don't need this,"

"Looking for this?" a familiar voice said coming out of the shadows holding Hermione's wand.

She strained to see who it was. When she did, her eyes grew round.

X

Draco gave Pansy one last cold hard stare. It was a stare that could give the person with the warmest of hearts, chills.

He swiftly walked out of the Slytherin Common Room without a word.

Once he got to his room he went up to the window. It was a new moon and the skies were empty and dark. He looked at the Dark Mark on his arm. He remembered how it all happened.

_------------------FLASHBACK------------------_

"_Helen, please put the lights back on," Mr. Granger finally said as he reached for Draco's hand and shook it. "Take care of Hermione," he said with a smile, "But if you break her heart, I'll hunt you down like a dog," _

_Draco nodded. "Sir," he began "I believe it's getting late. "Mrs. Granger, Mr. Granger, It's been a pleasure," _

"_I'll walk him to the fireplace," Hermione said getting up and grabbing Draco's hand. _

_Once they were in front of the fireplace, she stopped and smiled at him. _

"_What?" asked Draco. _

_She was still smiling. _

"_Hermione…" _

"_It's nothing, thank you," she said. _

_He cocked an eyebrow. _

"_For the bracelet," Hermione said raising her hand up and jingling the charms on the bracelet. _

"_Oh yea, no problem," Draco said scratching his head. _

_She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Good night, Draco," Hermione said. _

"_Good night, Hermione," _

_He stepped into the fireplace and took out floo powder. "Later, Bossyboots," he said with a wink quickly. Before she could scold him, he was gone in a burst of green flames. _

_X_

_He walked into the empty Head's common room. It was so dark, he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. He sighed and lit the fireplace. When he did, he was a face in the shadows. He squinted and sighed in relief. _

"_Severus, what are you doing here?" he asked. _

"_I apologize for what I'm about to do," Snape said as he took out his wand and pointed to Draco. _

_Draco looked confused. Before he could say anything, everything went foggy and he was stunned on the floor. _

_X_

_Draco groggily woke up to see everything blurry. Even though he couldn't see well, from the dark atmosphere and the mysterious figures encircling around him. He knew he was in the presence of Voldemort._

_He rubbed his eyes and after a while they were clear._

_He was in a dark room. In the air were floating red candles. Even though the room had no windows, there seemed to be a draft. Through the Death Eaters surrounding him, he was able to see Voldemort sitting in a black marble throne. Beside him were two clothed figures. The first one, he assumed was his father, the other, he wasn't sure of. Then, his eyes met up with red ones. They glared at him with such an intensity, it made him want to get up and run like he just saw Potter in leather pants singing to himself in a mirror 'I'm too sexy'._

"_Leave us!" Voldemort commanded to the Death Eaters. Once they left, he, Voldemort and the two robed figures were the only ones in the room. _

"_Are these allegations true?" Voldemort said in a soft high-pitched voice._

_Draco put his right fist on his left shoulder while kneeling on one knee._

"_I am not unaware of any allegations, my Lord" Draco replied as he got up. _

"_There is news of you and a girl from Hogwarts" Voldemort said, "The mudblood friend of…Potter,"_

"_I am simply using the her to get information," Draco lied._

_Voldemort's frown turned into twisted smile. "Excellent," he said slowly, "Have you any advances?" he asked. _

"_No, unfortunately, she doesn't like to talk about Potter, M'Lord"_

"_That is…unfortunate," he commented, "Terrible things would have happened to you, if these rumors had been true, Draco," _

_That was the first time Voldemort had ever said his name. It sounded horrible on his lips._

"_A gift, from me to you," Voldemort said, "It will also tell where your loyalties lie,"_

_With a wave of Voldemort's hand, the doors opened with a creak and the Death Eaters returned to the room in two lines. _

"_The Dark Mark?" Draco asked confused, "But my Lord, I'm not supposed to get it until-"_

"_DO YOU DARE DEFY ME?" Voldemort boomed. _

"_No, my Lord," he said._

_When the mass cleared, a Death Eater placed before him a large pot with a boiling red substance in it. When this Death Eater set it down, he dropped a single droplet into the concoction, without Voldemort and the other Death Eaters noticing._

_Draco tried hard not to smirk. It was Snape._

"_Let us now begin," Voldemort said sounding weaker._

_Just then a Death Eater came out with a branding stick. Draco's eye grew round._

"_Step forward," Voldemort hissed. Draco did so. Voldemort began to chant something. _

"_Malum vadum victum vestri pectus pectoris_

_Vos vadum suo atrum pars_

_Totus illorum quisnam defus atrum senior mos sino_

_Quod totus benevolentia pereo ex vestri pectus pectoris_

_Permissum totus quisnam discrepo pereo ex_

_vultus orbis terrarum"_

_His chant grew louder until it seemed it occupied all the space in the room. The branding stick grew brighter with heat as Voldemort said each syllable. Then he stopped and looked directing at Draco._

"_Place your forearm out," Voldemort said softly._

_Draco reluctantly did so. He thought to himself. "How the bloody hell did he go from Christmas with the Grangers to this? He mentally sighed. A day in the life of Draco Malfoy,"_

_The branding stick was dipped into the concoction and pressed against Draco's forearm._

_Voldemort watched with a sickening glee in his eyes._

_Draco tried his best not to scream. To scream would show weakness, and surely the Dark Lord would not tolerate weakness. That is, if you exclude Pettigrew's case._

_The pain. All he could think about was the pain. It was an equivalent to the Crutacious Curse. Hell, it felt worse. It was like hot melted lava was being poured over his head. And to think, all this pain from this one spot on his forearm._

_That is when everything went blank._

_------------------FLASHBACK------------------_

He grew angry, turned to his desk and knocked all books on the floor. He turned the bed and tore all the expensive silks and fabrics in half. A few minutes later, Draco lay sitting in his wrecked room, sitting in the darkness, waiting for the pain on his arm to go away.

X

Pansy wandered to the forest that was growing more and more familiar with each passing encounter.

She repeated the chant that she recited only seemed a fortnight ago.

"_Era of Obscurum _

_Era of Nox noctis _

_Era of Decor Quod _

_Era of Vires ego adeo vos is _

_Plenus luna nox noctis _

_Succurro mihi triumphus _

_Sic ego may smitus _

_Era of Obscurum _

_Quod Era of Nox noctis…" _

_She braced herself, and the earth swallowed her up once more._

X

She was in the dark hall again.

"Lady?" Pansy called. Her echo seemed to go on forever.

The red eyes that haunted her came out of the shadows.

"Have you completed your task?" the lady asked covering her face.

"Yes," Pansy said feeling proud and rejected at the same time.

"Now, you want him to love you, do you not?"

Pansy nodded. "Yes,"

"Ahh, I will need a personal item of yours, and the… blood of your beloved one.

Pansy face turned into a twisted smirk.

"No problem," Pansy said confidently. Draco was going to love her, whether he liked it or not.

X

"Hey, hey, hey," Hermione said rapidly as she sat down and poured some pumpkin juice.

"Um, Good Morning, Hermione," Harry greeted her puzzled.

"Goood Morniing!" Hermione said with a smile, "The hills are alive, with the sound of mmuusiicc…"

"Are you okay?" Ron asked looking at Hermione suspiciously.

"Me?" Hermione laughed, "Of course, I am Ron! Why wouldn't I be you silly willy boy?"

"Hermione," Harry said whispering, "Have you been… snorting something?"

Hermione laughed. "Snorting? That's absurd!" Hermione touched her gums. They were a bit raw from flossing so much.

"You shouldn't let Malfoy drive you to," Harry whispered the last word, "Drugs,"

"I am NOT on drugs," Hermione said sharply, her good mood fading.

"Then, why are you so, hyped?" Ron asked, "You can tell us, Hermione" he said reaching out for her hand, "If you need any, support groups or anything, we'll be here for you,"

"Guys, I just had some coffee and a few," she coughed, "Pepping up potions,"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "How many?"

"Many what?" Hermione said innocently.

"Don't play stupid with us, 'Mione," said Ron.

"Okay, okay, about," she looked around the Great Hall avoiding Harry and Ron's gaze, "Five bottles,"

Harry and Ron looked at each other. "FIVE-"

"They're just to get me through the day!" Hermione interrupted.

"Those things have side effects!" Ron commented.

"It's just for today," Hermione said, "I promise,"

"Anyways, I shouldn't let this bring me down," she began, "They're plenty of fish in the sea,"

Ron looked confused. "Woof do ish aff woo do wiff ur," he swallowed, "situation,"

"Ron, that's disgusting," Hermione commented.

"Did you have any clue what he just said?" Harry asked Hermione. Hermione shook her head.

"I said, what do fish have to do with your situation," Ron repeated.

Hermione laughed. "Muggle saying, Ron,"

Ron shrugged. "The Chudley Cannons are playing in Ireland tonight, by the way Harry,"

"Yeah, Calvin told me on our way down to breakfast," Harry replied.

_There was that feeling again. _

"Isn't that the guy who's temporary Head Boy?" Ron asked "Did he say who they were playing?" asked Ron.

_Her instinct was to turn to the Ravenclaw table. No one. _

_  
_"Yeah, he's brilliant funny, I believe he said it was the Kenmare Kentrels," Harry replied, "By the way, how's your detention with Malfoy going?"

_She looked at her own Gryffindor Table. No one. _

_  
_"Oh, still a ferret-like bastard, but he's been tolerable lately," Ron replied.

_Alas, she turned to the Slytherin table. Her eyes met with a pair of stormy gray eyes. And they were watching her intently. Time seemed to stop for a moment, and dreams of happy had beens flowed between them. She turned away. Her heart already burned. She didn't need it to burn anymore. _

X

"Turn to page 905," Snape barked, "Today we will concoct Gregory's Unctuous Unction," he began, "Does any one know what that is?"

As usual, Hermione's hand shot up. Snape rolled his eyes and relunctantly called on her name. "Miss Granger,"

"Gregory's Unctuous Unction is a potion that causes the person who is drinking the mixture to believe that the giver of the potion, is their best friend. The effects last depending on how much of the potion you drink," Hermione answered.

"Correct," he said, "The ingredients are on the board and I will pair you up"

Hermione, Ron and Harry sent each other worried looks.

"Brown and Millicent, Weasly and Crabbe,"

"Later guys," Ron said gloomily.

"Finnigan and Malfoy,"

Harry and Hermione took a sigh of relief.

"… Potter and… Goyle," and "Granger and Parkinson,"

"Pick a seat, and begin," Snape said as he headed for the doors, "I will be back, I expect you to behave," sending each student a glare.

Hermione stomach sunk as Harry sent her a sympathetic look as he was leaving and as Pansy came her way.

"Well, well, well, isn't it the mudblood," Pansy taunted. Hermione ignored her and started to cut the scurvy grass.

Pansy smirked and grabbed the crushed newt eyes.

"It's a pity, for you, that Draco chose me over you, ya know," Pansy began again, "but I'm not surprised, but then again, I'm sure he wouldn't want to," she looked at Hermione like she was some kind of gelatinous monster, "tarnish his reputation,"

Hermione's eye twitched.

Pansy smirked when she saw this.

"Pass the dried rattlesnake rattles," Hermione said stiffly.

"Ignoring me are you?" Pansy asked, "Admit it, Granger,"

Hermione ignored her and roughly added the ingredients to the cauldron. She thought to herself.

_Ignore her…Just ignore her… _

_Ignore her, my arse, KICK HER ASS HERMIONE! _

_What? I'll get in trouble!_

_Oh yeah? What's the worst that can happen?_

_I can get in trouble with Snape or worst, get stripped of my Head Girl duties…_

_Pfft, what's Snape going to do? GREASE you to death?_

_I just- I just have to be patient…_

"Problem Granger?" Pansy continued, "Something got your tongue? Or are you just afraid to admit, that Draco Malfoy would never want a mudblood bitch like you and that he was only using you for a game, something just to use and put back in his playpen…"

Hermione's patience was long gone.

A scream from the back of the room took the rest of the classroom's attention from their potions. When they looked back, they saw Hermione Granger on a terrified Pansy Parkinson, strangling her.

Harry jumped out his seat and held Hermione back. Hermione was charged and ready to go.

"SHE'S MAD!" Pansy shouted clutching her throat and struggling to get up.

"Parkinson, you haven't _seen_ mad!" Hermione shouted, "HARRY, LET GO!" Hermione said hands and legs in the air struggling to get free of Harry's grip.

Draco turned around to see Potter holding back a Hermione with hair looking like she got in a fight with a bear and lost. Then he saw Pansy. "I should of known," he said to himself.

He stood up and watched in the crowd.

"Hermione, she's not worth it!" Ron shouted.

"The HELL she's not!" Hermione shouted.

Harry glared at Parkinson.

"What are you looking at, Potter?" she said as she got up and brushed the hair out of her face. By now Hermione was not moving so much, but Harry was still holding her back. She was still, if not more, super pissed off.

"You're such a wench, Parkinson," Harry spat.

"Ooh, funny," Pansy replied, "Just like your parents, remember that time they died?" Pansy let off a shrieking laugh.

Harry went from glare, to death stare. He let go of Hermione.

A few moments later, Hermione was on Pansy like crackhead on Dumbledore.

Draco watched this with interest. He knew how hard Hermione hit since third year. As for Pansy, from experience from the Astronomy Tower, he knew Madame Pomphrey was going to have a lot to work on. He thought to himself, "If only we had some mud,"

As he was watching, people gathered in front of him and he couldn't see the fight anymore. All he could hear was:

"MY HAIR!"

"Your face will be gone too when I'm finished with you!"

"AHHH! GET OFF OF ME!"

He heard a few glasses breaking and pots being pushed over.

"MY FACE!"

Also, a few 'Go Hermione!'s.

Just then Snape busted into the room, but no one noticed him. He forced his way into the middle of the circle.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!" Snape shouted, but once he saw it was between Granger and Parkinson, he was taken aback.

If you looked around, there was extensive damage done to the room. There was potion all over the floors, broken glass from Snape's shelves and weird specimens floating in the potions, hair all over the place, chairs knocked over, but the real damage was done to Pansy. Hermione had her scratches and bruises, but Pansy loss this battle, badly.

Pansy's head was covered in bald spots, and the part were she had the most hair was the back of her head and random spots all over her head. She had two of her eyes blacked out and bruises up and down her arms. Her teeth were all right, but one seemed to be loose and she had cuts under her eyes and on her cheeks.

The sight of her even scared Snape.

With Hermione sitting on Pansy with her fist in the air ready to strike an almost-bald Parkinson, Hermione laughed nervously and said, "We're finished with our potion, professor,"

A/n: Thanks for reading! R&R Enjoy :)


	18. Sesame Street

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter™.

A/n: Sorry it took me so long, I started to write not long I posted the last chapter, it was just that I was continually unhappy with it. But I'm really happy about this one :) R&R Enjoy!

X

"60 points off Gryffindor and Slytherin," Snape ordered. He turned to a random student in the crowd, "You," he pointed, "Go fetch McGonagall,"

Snape turned to the two girls who were now separated. A Slytherin was holding up Pansy, and Ron was holding Hermione back.

"Now, explain yourself," Snape said menacingly.

The room was silent until Pansy broke it.

"It was horrible professor!" Pansy began, "I didn't deserve this! I was just minding my own business…"

Hermione roughly released her arms from Ron and looked at Snape and then Pansy, "She's lying, she wasn't minding her own business, she too busy being an irritable little bi-!"

"That is enough, Miss Granger," Snape interrupted.

"I was attacked! I'm innocent, I swear!" Pansy shouted.

There was and 'Oh please' in the crowd of students.

Pansy, Snape and Hermione turned to the mass of students. "Show yourself!" Pansy shouted.

That was when Draco came out of the pack of spectators.

Hermione looked at him suspiciously, but said nothing.

"You didn't even help me," Pansy began, "So, don't go around poking your nose in other's people's business!"

Draco shrugged, "You're right, I didn't help," Draco admitted, "And you certainly would know about going around and poking wouldn't you?" he continued, "We _all_ know you go around like the paperboy," Draco retorted.

There were 'Ooo's' in the crowd.

"That's enough, Mr. Malfoy," someone interrupted.

Everyone turned to the door to see McGonagall, looking especially irritated.

Snape went over to McGonagall and whispered something to her. She nodded and looked pointedly at Hermione. It was a look that made her insides turn.

Hermione thought to herself.

_This is your entire fault! _

Don't worry, you'll be fine…

No, I will not be fine! Do you know how much trouble I'm in?

Yes -

If you weren't me, I'd strangle you! I can get expelled, I mean, was this even worth it?

You and strangling people, what is up with that?

-Frustrated groan- I am in so much trouble…

Yes, but admit it, beating the little witch to a pulp felt good…

Hermione smiled inwardly. It did. 

"Miss Granger, you will come with me," McGonagall ordered, "Parkinson, oh dear," she said in a tone that tried to hide her shock, "You will be escorted to the hospital wing by Mr. Potter,"

Harry widened his eyes in surprise. "But professor!" they both said.

"That is my final word," she said finally as she nodded to Snape and left the room.

Hermione walked to her seat and took her bag.

"See you at lunch Hermione," Ron said giving her a worried look. Hermione did nothing but nod.

_If I live that long… _

As the four left, Snape turned back to students and told them to get back to work. Which was ridiculously impossible to do since Hermione and Parkinson's little brawl practically destroyed everything in the room.

Draco followed the mass of students back to their seats. He smirked as he thought,

"_That's it kids, today's beating was brought to you by the letter 'A'"_ _  
_

X

Pansy and Harry walked through the corridor in complete silence.

Pansy groaned and scowled. "Stupid teachers, stupid school, stupid mudblood," she said out loud.

Harry glowered at her from the corner of his eye, "Shut it, Parkinson," he said hostilely.

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do if I don't?" she replied.

"If you don't, I'll have to finish what Hermione started," Harry said.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she replied.

Harry smirked. "Who's the one looking like she got beat over the head with an ugly stick?"

"Take that back," she said threatening.

Harry kept smirking, "Make me, you pureblood wench," he said.

"You make it sound like being pureblood is a bad thing," Pansy said with her nose in the air.

"It is," Harry replied, "Most purebloods are scum, if you don't include the Weasleys or Dumbledore,"

"Well, you're mudblood friend doesn't seem to think so,"

"If I recall, I believe it was Hermione who broke up the two-timing bastard," Harry said.

"Please, the only reason why she broke up with Draco is because he's a Death Eater,"

Harry, at first, said nothing, and then his eyes widened in realization.

"He's a WHAT!" Harry shouted.

Pansy cocked an eyebrow. "She didn't tell you?" she smirked. "Oh, this should be fun to watch,"

"I've got to talk to her," he said about to leave.

"She's probably still with Dumbledore," Pansy replied, "Besides, you were supposed to escort me to the Hospital Wing,"

"You'll be fine, if something tries to attack you, all you have to do is show them your face," Harry answered cheekily.

Before she could retort, he was halfway down the corridor.

"Hey! Come back here!" Pansy shouted as she stomped her foot. She scowled and headed towards the Hospital Wing.

X

Hermione looked at the old man with the sparking sapphire eyes who was sitting behind his desk.

"First of all, I am very disappointed in you, Miss Granger," McGonagall began, "_You _of all people!"

"I must say, Miss Granger, this is very unlike you," Dumbledore began.

_Oh god, they sound like my parents…_

Hermione's insides turned and she was partly worried. She usually listened to her logical side, which was –as much as she hated it- was right. And what she did to Pansy was not exactly the brightest thing she has done.

"I'm sorry professors, I just don't know what came over me," Hermione replied, "I can only guess that my position for Head Girl would be…taken away,"

Dumbledore laughed softly. "Oh no such thing. You are one of the best Head Girls this castle has seen," he replied, "But unfortunately, you will be punished,"

"You would have been expelled if it wasn't for your fine record," McGonagall added.

Hermione face brightened at the idea that she was still Head Girl. "Of course,"

"Any ideas for her punishment, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked as he glanced in McGonagall's direction, who was standing by the desk.

"Two months of detention," McGonagall said firmly, "With Miss Parkinson,"

Hermione's mouth dropped and looked at McGonagall like she just offered her a cigarette.

He nodded and looked at Hermione with questioning,

"Do you have any idea what would have possessed you to do such horrible damage to Miss Parkinson?" he asked.

Hermione closed her mouth and shook her head honestly, "No professor,"

"So, you are saying you can think of nothing that could have caused such violent behavior?" McGonagall asked

"Well, now that I think about it, I did drink more coffee than usual…and a few pepping up potions," Hermione remembered.

"Miss Granger, do you have any of the Pepping up potions with you?" Dumbledore questioned.

X

_Bloody Hell… Who knew Hermione had it in her?  
_

_She's finally cracked! Mad as a hatter, that woman… _

_I mean, look at the damage she did to Parkinson! When she walked out of there she almost looked like she got in a fight with a herd of Blast Ended Skrewts… I don't think anyone deserves to be beaten like that, even if she is a nasty Slyth- _

"Oooph!" Ron said as he hit the floor. He shook his head and saw that whoever he ran into's books were all about the floor.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Ron apologized as he started to pick up that person's books. The person laughed.

"No, it's my fault, I should have been looking where I was going," that person said.

Ron looked up to see a girl helping him helping her pick up her books.

"Natalie Armstrong, Ravenclaw" she said as she held out her hand.

Ron got up, and shook her hand. "R-Ron Weasly," he replied, "Gryffindor,"

She had curly brown-black hair that went up to her shoulders and hazel eyes. Natalie was tall, shorter then Ron, but taller than Hermione, and dark skin. She was very pretty.

Natalie smiled. "Heading to lunch?" _  
_  
"Yeah, you?" Ron replied.

X

Pansy walked into the hospital wing. It was dark and the shades that hung on the tall windows were pulled down low. She looked around to see a few people who were sick groaning and coughing.

"Madame Pomfrey!" Pansy shouted.

Almost immediately she came from the next room and shushed her. "You'll wake the patients," she scolded. Then Pomfrey made a hand movement that suggested Pansy followed her.

Madame grimaced when she saw Pansy in the light.

"Oh dear," she mumbled, "Who did this to you?"

"Hermione Granger, that's who," Pansy said heatedly.

"You shouldn't lie, my dear," Pomfrey said checking out the damages.

"I'm not lying!" Pansy shouted.

"Shhh!" Pomfrey shushed as she turned her back to get some potions off the shelves.

Pansy pouted then remembered her mission.

"Madame Pomfrey," Pansy began, "Do you have any... blood?"

Pomfrey turned around and gave her a suspicious look.

"Why ever would you need blood?" she asked.

"Um… for a project," Pansy replied.

"Mhmm… for a Slytherin, you're a terrible liar," Pomfrey replied, "Besides, if blood was to be needed for a class, the teacher would never send a student,"

"Oh," Pansy said simply.

She was just going to get it herself.

Pomfrey turned around holding a bubbling purple concoction in a wooden cup.

"Now stop your tomfoolery and drink up," Pomfrey said handing Pansy the mug.

Pansy sniffed the contents and pinched her nose. Then, she downed it. It left her with a bitter taste in her mouth and a gag reflex.

"Oh be still," Pomfrey scolded.

In a few moments, the cuts on her face healed up, the black eyes were faded, the tooth that was loose and her hair was back to normal.

X

Hermione took a small bottle out of her bag.

Dumbledore took and inspected the bottle closely.

"Ah, here we are," he began, "Side effects include, loss of appetite, unusual dreams, _aggression_, and an interference with spell-binding," Dumbledore looked at Hermione from above his glasses, "Well, I believe we found the source of your peculiar behavior, Miss Granger,"

Hermione was dumbfounded. Ron had been _RIGHT_?

"I had no idea," Hermione said.

"You know that this is only for people with colds?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes professor," Hermione said, "I've just been, dealing with some stuff,"

Dumbledore nodded. "I take it you won't be using these anymore?" Dumbledore asked shaking the bottle and placing it on the desk.

"No professor," Hermione replied.

Dumbledore smiled. "You are dismissed," he said softly.

As Hermione grabbed her bag and was heading for the door, McGonagall called her name.

"Miss Granger, the fair thing to do is to shorten your detention sentence, since you were not yourself," she began, "One month with Filch, seven to eleven P.M. starting tomorrow,"

Hermione smiled, "Thank you, professor,"

McGonagall nodded.

When Hermione was gone, McGonagall and Dumbledore released the smile they had been keeping since they heard about the incident.

X

_And now for our commercial break… _

Hello Mother,  
Hello Father,

Ticks, mosquitoes, really bother!  
Thanks for the package,  
That's why I'm writing  
K9 Advantix simply stopped all the biting -

-Sees Draco looking annoyed-

Me: Um...Hey?

Draco: Don't 'Hey' me, how is it I'm only in this bloody chapter only once?

Me: Don't worry you're pretty blond hair over it…

Draco: Answer me, woman!

Me: I'm the author here, so I don't have to…

Draco: I don't care if you are the Prince of Wales! Look, this is a Dramione fic, not Hermione and her little retard friends frolicking around the castle fic!

Me: You'll be in this chapter, don't worry, damn!

Draco: -Glare-

_Me: You will! Geez…_

_Draco: -Smirk- _

_And back to our commercial break. _

_-Fetching, hiking, and tent pitching  
they're not biting I'm not itching!  
Can't wait to show you, all my new tricks!_  
_Thanks again for sending me K9 Advantix!_

_End of Commercial break_

X

"Harry?" Hermione said as she saw Harry leaning on a gargoyle.

"Hey, how'd it go?" he asked.

"A month's detention with Filch…and Parkinson," Hermione said hating every word of it.

"Oooh, sorry bout that, 'Mione," Harry said sincerely as they started walking.

"Oh! But wait, that is only the beginning," Hermione continued, "Seems that our own Ronald Bilius Weasly was right when he said the pepping potions have side effects,"

Harry faked a tear. "I'm so proud," he said wiping a fake tear.

Hermione laughed.

"Glad you're okay, Hermione," he said a bit seriously this time.

Hermione nodded. "You okay, Harry?" she asked. Harry looked her with a serious expression.

"Hermione, I know," he said.

"About what exactly?" Hermione replied.

"About Malfoy being… a Death Eater," he whispered the last part.

Hermione's eyes grew to the size of golf balls.

She stopped and turned around to Harry.

"How did you find out?" Hermione asked.

"Parkinson," he replied, "Why didn't you tell us?"

Hermione shrugged. "I… I guess part of me doesn't believe he's one of _them_,"

Harry looked in Hermione's eyes, "You're not over him are you?" he asked.

"…No," she replied.

X

_**Later that day** _

"She's brilliant funny, you know," Ron continued.

"Really?" Harry said not looking up or paying attention to what Ron was saying.

Ron lay on the sofa, looking up at the ceiling, rambling about a girl named Natalie, while stuffing his mouth with chocolate frogs. Hermione sat crossing her legs, in front of the fire, reading a book (surprise, surprise), and Harry sat with his feet on the table flipping through the newest edition of _Quidditch._

"She's really pretty," Ron rambled on, "Did you know she's American?"

Harry gasped, "No…" he said flipping a page.

Ron swallowed and nodded, "Yes, do you think she likes me, Hermione?" he asked as he looked over to her.

Hermione looked up. "Um, of course,"

Ron smiled and looked back at the ceiling. "Yeah, I hope she does…"

Hermione smiled and shook her head and glanced at the clock. It read 9:15.

Hermione gave a small shriek. "I'm late!"

"For what?" Harry asked.

"For patrol," Hermione said already at the portrait entrance, "Bye!"

X

"Look, there she is," one of the sixth year Slytherins whispered to another

"Heard that she got beat the shit out of her by the Head Girl," the other whispered back.

"Head Girl?" the sixth year whispered with surprise.

Pansy walked into the Slytherin common room, after Pomfrey insisted that she stay a little longer to make sure, that she was all right. Almost suddenly the whole common room went quiet and filled with whispers.

As she was walking to the girl dormitories, someone threw a cup at her head.

"Loser!" someone shouted, "I can't believe you let a Gryffindork beat you up!"

Pansy looked at that person and gave them the finger.

SMACK.

Pansy walked right into the fireplace mantelpiece.

The whole common started to laugh.

"Stupid mudblood," she said to herself as she rubbed her head.

X

Hermione came running down to McGonagall's office like a chicken with its head cut off.

"You're late, Miss Granger," McGonagall said sternly waiting outside her office door.

"I'm sorry professor," Hermione said catching her breath and looking at the serious-looking blond young man.

"Yes, well you know the rules, you should be done by 11," she replied as she went back to her office.

Hermione sighed and looked at Draco, "Let's get this over with," she said simply as she began to walk.

By the time they were on the third floor, Draco had not said a word. Great for Hermione, you might think. Quite the contrary, it was seriously creeping her out.

X

Draco was walking to McGonagall's office at 8:55. After all, Malfoy's are never late. Unless, if they were fashionably late.

He had to say, he was actually looking forward to seeing Hermione. For what reason, he didn't know. But, when he reached his destination, Draco was a bit disappointed.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall apologized, "Miss Granger isn't here at the moment,"

Twenty minutes later, she came running down the hallway. All the things that had happened in the corridor came rushing back, and soon his smirk, disappeared into a solemn expression.

The small twinge in his heart and arm began to throb and soon enough Draco didn't feel like talking anymore.

X

"What were you fighting about?" Draco said finally breaking the silence.

Hermione looked at Draco to see him still looking forward.

_"Over you," her mind told her._

"Um…" Hermione replied nervously, "Nothing, she's just extremely infuriating that's all,"

Draco smirked at her uneasiness.

"Right," he said simply.

They made eye contact for a moment, before Hermione looked away. Then she heard something loud and sudden.

Draco sneezed.

Hermione winced at the sudden action, but then said reluctantly, "Bless you"

"What?" Draco asked, "Oh, it's just that I'm allergic to bullshit,"

Hermione rolled her eyes and walked faster, "You're still a little ferret-faced prat!"

Draco smirked again. The rest of this patrol was going to be interesting.

"Hey Granger, wait up!" he shouted after her.

A/N: Tehe. Thanks for reading! R&R.


	19. True Colors

A/n: Cookies for everyone who knew where I got where I got 'I'm allergic to BS' bit! This chapter is dedicated to my friends and my reviewers. Not a lot of humor in this one, but shrug I try. And I'm sorry for taking so long. I was continually unhappy with it, (like all my last chapters) but I think I found one that I'm satisfied with. And I bring you the latest installment of…Ferret.

X  
_  
Last time on Ferret, Draco and Hermione break up. Hermione gets a midnight visitor that only she knows the identity of, Draco and Hermione go on patrol and the plot thickens as Pansy tries to win Draco's love. _

X

Hermione slowed down, so he could catch up.

"Let's play a game," Hermione proposed, "Longest one to pretend they aren't there, wins."

Draco snorted, "Nice try, Hermione," he said, "I'm not that stupid,"

"Drat, I thought you were…and don't call me Hermione,"

"That is your name isn't it?" Draco replied.

Hermione said nothing but narrowed her eyes.

"Someone's PMSing," Draco said quietly to himself.

Hermione gaped, and then punched him on the arm. "I heard that," she said angrily.

"You hit like a girl," Draco said smugly and half laughing. But when she wasn't looking, he rubbed his arm and mouthed the word 'Ow'.

X

As they were patrolling, Hermione noticed that one of the classroom doors was barely open.

She quietly went up to the door and peeped inside. Hermione rolled her eyes and said plainly, "Break it up, you guys,"

A couple had been 'partaking of displays of affection' on the teacher's desk and froze when they heard Hermione's voice.

They turned to face her.

Hermione gasped. Nothing seemed to register for a while.

Swollen lips, ruffled black and blonde hair, untucked shirts and blouses, and tipped over glasses.

Harry Potter had been caught snogging Lavender Brown.

Draco walked behind Hermione to see what she was so dumfounded about. When he saw what had happened. An amused smirk had dominated his features.

_Hm… I thought he was gay. Guess not. _

X

Pansy waited until everyone in her dorm was asleep. She slipped out from her sheets and grabbed her cloak that was hanging on the chair next to her bed. Pansy wrapped it around her and tiptoed out of the common room.

X

"Harry! What are you doing?" Hermione had finally said after a moment of silence, "I just saw you in the common room!"

Harry quickly got off of Lavender, who still had her mouth open like a fish out of water.

"I think it's pretty obvious what he's doing," Draco said. Hermione ignored him.

He adjusted his glasses and seemed to look around nervously scratching his neck, "Er...well you see…"

Hermione soon grew angry. "What about Ron? What about Ginny!" she shouted at him.

_Ah... the weaselette, yes, who could forget about Slutty McSlut? _

"So that's why this seems so familiar," Draco drawled.

Hermione turned around gave him a look that said, 'If you don't shut up right now, I'll hang you where the sun don't shine'

"If I knew this would be a questionnaire, I would have locked the door," Harry mumbled.

Hermione heard Harry and hit him.

"Stop with the physical abuse!" Harry shouted.

"Really woman," Draco said rubbing the arm Hermione had hit earlier. He was getting a bruise.

Out of all this commotion, Lavender had almost slipped out of the room before Draco held out an arm to stop her from stepping out of the door.

"You didn't think we forgot about you, did you?" Draco drawled, "Thirty points from Gryffindor,"

"Thirty points!" Lavender protested.

"Hmm, you're right, I should make it forty…"

"You're abusing your position as Head Boy," Hermione scolded Draco as she turned to Lavender, "Go back to the common room, _now_,"

Hermione sighed and looked at Harry helplessly, "Why?"

Before Harry could answer Draco rolled his eyes and interrupted.

"Look, we're patrolling, Granger, we shouldn't be playing the role as Dr. Phil in Potter's romance and sex – or lack of it - life,"

Before Harry and Hermione could either retort or ask where he even knew who Dr. Phil was, Draco left the room. Hermione watched him walk down the hall. She turned to Harry.

"Go back to the common room, we'll discuss this in the morning," she said, and left.

X

"Everything's all ruined!" Hermione said breaking the silence.

Draco looked at her and backed away. Suddenly an alarm went off in his head.

_Detecting breakdown! Detecting breakdown! ABORT! ABORT! _

It was too late. Hermione had already begun her ramblings.

"Harry was supposed to be with Ginny, Ron is supposed to be with me, and we were supposed to live happily freaking after!"

_Dear Merlin, she's finally lost all her marbles… _

"Not Harry and Ginny are cheating on each other and Ron liking Lavender but Lavender liking Harry and me liking you, but you being a – "

She looked up at Draco, who had a look on his face that showed anxiety and something along the lines of 'I _dare _you to say it'

Hermione sighed. "Never mind,"

X

As Pansy left the common room, she heard voices.

"…freaking after…."

"…. Ron liking Lavender…"

"…Never mind…"

Pansy quickly put up her hood and hid in the shadows. It was the mudblood bitch and the blood traitor.

She saw Granger walking, looking particularly annoyed.

Pansy moved from the shadow to behind a statue. Granger must have caught this because she stopped, looked around, and took her wand from her robe.

"Who's there?" she asked.

Then Granger turned around to see Draco coming her way.

"What's going on?" Draco asked looking around suspiciously.

"I think there's something over there, by that statue," Hermione said as she pointed at the area with her wand.

Pansy held her breath.

Draco stepped closer to the statue, but not close enough that if something _was_ behind the statue, it could attack him viciously, and squinted. He sighed and had a look of boredom and amusement on his face as he looked at Hermione.

"Nothing's there,"

Hermione sighed. "I thought so,"

A few seconds after she was out of sight, he sent a suspicious look towards the statue, but shrugged it off and caught up with Hermione.

After both Malfoy and Granger were out of sight, Pansy made her way out of the castle.

X

"You are by _far_, the most infuriating male I have ever had the displeasure to meet!" Hermione said hotly.

Apparently, Malfoy had said something to infuriate Hermione again, and soon that awkward silence was filled with hostility. Which meant everything was back to normal.

"How sweet," Draco said nonchalantly, "So tell me, what'd Parkinson say to make you lose your temper like that?"

"That's really none of your business," Hermione replied stiffly.

"Well, your brawl with Pansy distracted me from my potions, I believe I at least deserve an explanation,"

"I don't owe you sh-"

"Watch your mouth, Granger," Draco interrupted, "I can take away house points,"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"At least tell me you got punishment," Draco said.

"Yes, two months," Hermione replied.

Draco stopped. "Two months? _Two_ months? You almost killed Pansy and you get two months!"

Hermione smiled a little.

"I punch that overgrown baboon a few times and our sentence is the same!"

"If it gets you to shut up, I wasn't myself, I was under the influence of pepping-up potions," Hermione replied.

"No wonder you're acting so strangely… I thought you were on drugs,"

Hermione groaned. "Does everyone think I'm on drugs!"

Draco looked at her seriously. "Yes,"

X

Pansy knew the route by heart now. She recited the chant once again and the earth swallowed her the third time.

This time she landed on her feet.

"Lady?" Pansy called as she brushed the dirt from her robes.

There was a silence until a hunched hooded figure barely came out of the shadows.

"Do you have it?" the lady asked.

Pansy shook her head, "No, I came to ask for more time,"

There was a growl and the lady pounded her fist hard, on the arm of her throne. This made Pansy flinch.

"Are you okay?" Pansy asked, half with curiosity and half of fear.

"I need his blood!" the lady shouted.

Pansy wrinkled her brow in confusion.

"And a prized possession of mine…right?" Pansy asked.

The lady laughed. It was cold and chilling.

"No, foolish one…" the lady said at last, "…I am growing impatient with you,"

"I don't understand,"

"I was never going to make him love you!" the lady admitted.

Pansy looked around this 'palace' and glared at the hooded figure that was sitting in her throne.

"What is this?" Pansy said outraged.

The Lady ignored this, "You have until next full moon to give me what I want,"

"That's the end of the week, today's only Wednesday!" Pansy protested.

"Next full moon!" the Lady said once again, "If you don't, you're precious loved one will be dead,"

Pansy gasped and her eyes wandered around the root covered walls for an escape.

"Why his blood, why not mine!" Pansy shouted with tears in her eyes, as she took out her arm.

The Lady laughed again.

"I do not need your worthless blood!" the lady spat, "I need _his _blood…."

Pansy seemed insulted, but knew to stay quiet and hope whatever mess she got herself into, she could get out of.

"Do you know whose Draco's ancestors are?" the lady asked.

Pansy's mouth fell open, "Y-you know his name?"

The Lady did not come out of the shadows, but Pansy could almost hear her smiling.

"I knew his name long before you even came to my forest," Lady Grim replied, "Now, do you?"

Pansy shook her head and she took a step back.

"I didn't think so," Lady said slowly, "…He is the descendant of the one, who _my _beloved one, abandoned me for,"

Pansy's eyes grew round. Then she remembered what the book said.

_Legend tells us that she can grant you the wildest dreams, if you pay the right price. Before she died, she was known as Duchess of Arlington, one of the most beautiful women in the world since Helen of Troy. She was very vain, and died because of a broken heart. The man she loved had chosen a lowly peasant girl instead of her…_

"I don't understand," Pansy said.

The lady shifted and her face came out of the shadows into the moonlight. Her hood was pulled down, and Pansy gasped at the horror.

X

Hermione was still heated and walking in front of Draco. She walked into the hall where the staircases were. As she was mentally cursing Draco out, he seemed to have caught up with her pretty quickly. Soon enough, she was following him. He was already at the top of the stairs when she started just got there.

He stood at the top of the stairs crossing his arms haughtily.

"Hurry it up, _Granger_," he said with a smirk, "I've got places to go…people to see,"

Hermione just narrowed her eyes at him.

As she put her foot down, almost simultaneously, the stair began to move. She almost fell to her death, but she luckily caught onto the railing.

She looked down to see herself dangling for what seemed hundreds of feet.

Hermione's screams echoed through the castle.

X

Her once smooth silver skin was a muddy gray. The skin hung from her face. The sheen in her hair was gone, and it was flat and rough. Her nose was crooked and bumpy. The real horror was her eyes. Bugs were swarming around her face and the eyes that showed youth, vitality and beauty were gone. Her eyes were now sunken in and not vibrant red, but a dark dirty red.

Pansy backed away. "What are you?"

"A blood witch," the Lady –if u could call it that- said simply, "I need blood to keep myself young and beautiful," the lady said touching her face.

"You still haven't explained why you need Draco's blood," Pansy went on.

"I do not need to explain anything!" the lady boomed, "GO! And if you do not come back I will destroy everything"

"What do you mean?" Pansy asked frightened.

The monster contorted her face more; one could assume it was a smirk.

"I will spare your life, but everything that you ever cared about, everything that ever cared about you, will be gone," the monster said with glee, "Including the mudblood Draco is in love with,"

_"Love?" _Pansy thought.

X

"Draco!" Hermione shouted, "I can't hold on for much longer!"

Draco eyes widened when he saw Hermione hanging from the bottom of the stairs. He ran, but he seemingly was too late.

Hermione had already let go.

X

"I don't care for the mudblood," Pansy replied.

"But he does, and he will link her death to you… with my help," the lady continued, "And the hope of him ever loving you will be gone, he will hate you with a burning passion,"

There was silence.

"What have I done," Pansy said to her self.

"Three warnings," the lady said bringing up three long and disfigured fingers up. "This isn't fair!" Pansy shouted.

"Oh young one, it is," The lady began as she smiled, revealing crooked yellow teeth, "Didn't your parent teach you never to talk to strangers?"

X

He caught her.

Draco grabbed her wrists and struggled to pull her up.

"Lay off the pumpkin pie will ya?" he said pulling her up.

A staircase was moving, and headed their way. If he didn't get her up in time, then Hermione was going to be a pancake.

A burst of adrenaline burst through him as he pulled Hermione up in time. The force of him pulling her up sent him back, and Hermione next to him.

Hermione sat up panting, and turned to Draco.

Hermione hit him on the chest.

"I just saved your life and you hit me!" Draco said.

"You called me fat!" Hermione replied brushing herself off.

"I get to call you the grinch, if I bloody well want to!"

Hermione glared at him as he got up, "So I guess I owe you a big favor,"

"Naturally," Draco said in his usual refined voice.

Hermione bowed melodramatically, "Oh well, _thank you_,kind sir,"

Draco looked at her not amused.

"Watch where you're going next time," he said as they began to patrol again.

X

"O-okay," Pansy said timidly, "I'll try,"

"Trying isn't good enough, you _will_ do it," the lady finished.

Pansy nodded as tears fell and hit the cold dirt-covered ground.

The lady laughed again, it was haunting and disturbing.

Pansy closed her eyes and when she opened them, she was in her dorm. The chilling and haunting laugh was still ringing in her ears. She knew she wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

X

Hermione was thankful that this patrol was over. This patrol had the most shocking, distressing, and just overall mouth opening she had ever had.

"_Just a few more kilometers_," she thought to herself.

Usually, they could go back to McGonagall, or whoever teacher had sent them off that night, say their good nights and go their separate ways.

Draco and Hermione faced each other in front of McGonagall's door.

It was silent for a while.

"Thank you," Hermione apologized, "For saving my life back there,"

Draco nodded in reply. "And you're not fat,"

Hermione turned to walk away, when she felt something on her wrist.

She turned around to see Draco looking at her.

His eyes made her heart skip a beat. They were silver orbs that swam in the moonlight. His skin, pale as it was, looked glowing in the firelight.

He was absolutely angelic.

"What?" she was going to ask. Before she could even utter those words, his lips meet hers. Unlike the first time, she did react.

She kissed him back.

As much as she denied it, she missed him terribly. Hermione ached for him.

Draco backed Hermione against the wall. One hand was around her waist, and one against the wall.

She broke the kiss.

When he looked her in the eyes, they were full of tears.

Hermione unwrapped her arms from around his neck. They looked at each other for a while in shock. Hermione's hand traveled up his arm, the arm that had been on the wall.

Hermione lifted his rolled up sleeve. It revealed the Dark Mark.

Her fingers barely grazed the skull, and she looked at him. He was avoiding her eyes.

She placed her hand on his face and made him look her in her eyes.

"Good night, Malfoy,"

X

A/n: When I wrote that part between the Lady and Pansy, I literally creeped myself out. Oh, and if you don't understand what happened between Hermione and Draco in the hallway, Hermione is basically saying, 'Now you see why I can't do this,' Tehe.

kentuckygirl4039: Glad you changed your mind:)Pip08: I doubt it, I mean, why would she need blood? So I say no.

-Drum roll-

And the answer to the most asked question in last chapter's reviews:

_Why is this chapter called 'Sesame Street'?_

Well kiddies, it's named Sesame Street because of Draco's last comment on the fight. You know, when he said "_That's it kids, today's beating was brought to you by the letter 'A'"_ ? Well, on Sesame Street at the end of every show, they would say 'This show was brought to you by the letter 'G''.

Read and Review. Thanks.

Hugz and Kisses

-MidnightBlossom


	20. Shadows

A/n: I'm back… Sorry for taking decades to write this chapter. I had a case of writers block, and… well laziness. :P This chapter kind of focuses on other relationships other than Hermione and Draco.

X

Draco watched Hermione as she walked away along the corridor. Once she was out of sight, he leaned toward McGonagall's office door until the he felt the cool wood against his forehead. He took deep breaths. What did he get himself into?

Should he really be wasting his time on a girl? And a muggleborn at that?

He pushed himself off the wall and as he walked off, he could have swore he heard footsteps, and they sounded like they were coming his way.  
_  
_Draco looked behind him into the darkness. When he saw nothing, he walked faster.

X

Hermione replayed tonight's events in her mind like a movie. Things just didn't seem right, it was almost seemed surreal.

When Hermione walked into the common room, she was surprised to see Harry and Ron still up quietlytalking. As for Ron, she was sort of interested why he was up. But as for Harry, she was just plain too pissed off at him to care. Of course, maybe you're probably wondering why she isn't in the Head's dormitories. Well, she figured things would be a bit too uncomfortable. Luckily, there was always an extra bed in the girl's dorms.

"Hey Ron," she said to him as she gave him a small smile. Hermione sent Harry a dirty look, and turned back to Ron as she sat down next to him. "Why are you up so late?"

"Well, when Harry didn't come back to the dormitories, I thought I'd wait up for both of you," Ron replied, sensing and seeing the dirty look Hermione threw Harry, "You know, just in case any of you went missing or something,"

Hermione couldn't help smiling a little. Ron was always like a big brother to her. Yes, he can be an arse, but he's a protective kind of arse.

"Oh, we're fine," Hermione replied looking at Harry.

She shook her head in disappointment of Harryand looked at the fireplace. Harry saw that she turned away from him, and did the same, and turned to look at the opposite way from Hermione.

Ron sighed. "Okay, what's going on?" he said as he crossed his arms.

"Nothing's going on" Harry replied stiffly, still not turning to look at Ron or Hermione.

"We all know that's rubbish," Ron said.

Silence.

"You're going to make me guess aren't you?" Ron said a bit irritated, "Okay, Hermione you're mad at Harry because… he didn't do his homework."

Silence.

"No? Okay, Harry you're mad at Hermione because she's a nag." Ron guessed.

Hermione did nothing but give him a look.

"All right, you're mad at each other–"

"You know what Ron? You're just going to have to ask Harry," Hermione interrupted as she patted him on the knee.

Hermione got up and headed towards the girl dormitory staircase, "As for me, I'm going to bed. Good night."

X

Thetapping of Draco's shoes echoed down the corridor as he made his way to the Slytherin dorms.

"Hello Malfoy," someone said.

Draco moved his wand, which was casting a Lumos spell. As he moved it about, he saw no one.

"You won't be needing that," that someone, said.

Then the person came into the light that was illuminating from Draco's wand. It was…Parkinson?

"Quite a display," Parkinson said with a smirk.

Draco was baffled. What would Pansy be doing out wandering the hallways at this hour? I mean, other than doing her job as nightly prostitute. But now that he thought about it, Draco mused, that sort of her daytime job too...

"Is she a good kisser?" she said pouting, "I've been after you for quite some time now, and you've never kissed me like _that_,"

Wait, Draco thought to himself, was Parkinson talking actual English? Usually, she would speak to him in a language he called Whore.

"What?"

Parkinsonuncharacteristically smirked.

"You're not Parkinson are you?" Draco realized.

Her smirk got bigger. "Congratulations, you stated the obvious," she said as she crossed his arms.

"What do you want?" Draco said dangerously.

Draco was a bit unnerved. If she wasn't Pansy, then who was she? How did he know this person wasn't a he?

"Nothing in particular," the impostor said in a taunting tone of voice. You could tell they were enjoying this.

"I don't have time for this," Draco said already getting fed up and continuing to walk.

The so-called Pansy shot out her hand so Draco couldn't get by her.

"You'll have to make time," she said darkly, "Now," she said almost light heartedly,turning to face Draco,"The Dark Lord, if he heard that you actually had feelings for the mudblood…"

"You're going to blackmail me?"

"Well, it's a possibility,"

Draco glowered.

"What do you plan to do?"

"Nothing yet, just keeping my options open," Pansy implied.

Draco stood there glaring at the figure. "Who are you?"

"That's for me to know, and you to never find out," she replied, "Sleep tight, don't let the mudbloods bite." she said with a wicked smile on her face. She gave atwitch of the head, and walked into the shadows.

Whoever that was, Draco hoped they were bluffing.

X

Draco said the password and burst into Snape's office.

"We've got a problem," Draco said as he slammed the door to Snape's bedroom behind him.

_  
_Snape sat straight up and pointed his wand at the darkness. Still half-asleep, he groggily whispered, "Mother?"

"No!" Draco whispered, "I've seen you're mother, Severus, not a pretty sight,"

Almost bored-like, Severus said "Draco"

"Good Merlin, man, have you lost your manners?" Snape said tiredly as he looked for some light, "This bloody well be good,"

Severus sat down on his bed holding a candle with sleep still in his eyes.

"Well?"

"Someone saw us," Draco said pacing the room and running his hand through his hair.

"Us? And doing what?" Snape asked, "And if you were doing something explicit, spare me the details,"

"No, It was me… and Granger," Draco replied.

"Oh this ought to be good," Snape said with a smirk.

"After patrol, I…"

"I…" Snape continued. "Spit it out!"

"I kissed her, alright!"

"Right when I thought you couldn't get any stupider," Snape mumbled, "Well do you know who it is?"

"I heard that," Draco responded, "And no, but they did come to me, but under a polyjuice potion. They must have been planning this for some time or something because I know how long polyjuice takes to make," Draco continued, "But the strangest thing is, they came to me in the form of Parkinson,"

"Parkinson?" Snape repeated.

"Yes," Draco replied.

"Well, this person is a problem if they didn't want to reveal themselves,"

"That's not the worse of it," Draco began, "They said that they might tell the Dark Lord,"

"This is not good at all," Severus said more to himself than Draco.

"No shit, Sherlock," Draco said, "What do I do?"

Snape gave Draco a disapproving look for his language but ignored it and continued.

"I'm afraid there's nothing you can do, Draco. I'll investigate, if I can, but this person, I doubt, left any clues," Severus said honestly.

"Get some sleep," Snape said as he led Draco to the door, "Good night,"

X

_The Next Morning_

Hermione walked into the Great Hall and sat next to Ron. She smiled and turned to the young man sitting beside her, "Good Morning,"

He returned her greeting with a grunt of acknowledgement.

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked as she looked around the Great Hall. "Arse" Ron mumbled loud enough for Hermione to hear him. 

Hermione nearly gave herself whiplash as she turned to face him.

"What?" Hermione asked as she furrowed her brow.

"He told me you know, he's cheating on my little sister," Ron said quietly.

"I'm sorry about that," Hermione replied feeling a bit helpless.

"Whatever," Ron responded. "You didn't do anything stupid, did you?" Hermione said worried. 

Ron said nothing but buttered his toast rather roughly.

"Well," Hermione said, "How do you know that Ginny doesn't know about Harry, and how do you know if she's not cheating on him,"

Ron snorted as if that was impossible. "Ginny? She would never do something like that?"  
"I would never do something like what?" the redheaded witch inquired as she sat down opposite of Hermione.

"Yes," said a wizard behind her, "Like what?" he said with a serious tone sitting beside her.

"Ginny! Harry! Good Morning," Hermione said cheerfully trying to change the subject.

Hermione saw a cut on Harry's lip, but didn't say anything because she was afraid where that would lead. She had a pretty good idea who gave it to him.

"Ginny," Ron said, "I've got something to tell you"

Ron saw the warning look Hermione was giving but chose to ignore it.

"Harry is – EEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Hermione dug the heel of her shoe into Ron's foot before he could utter another word. What started out at as yelp, ended up into being high-pitched squeaks.

Which earned looks from Ron's classmates.

Hermione cleared her throat. "You were saying, Ronald?"

"Um… right." Ginny replied.

Harry smirked as he saw Ron glaring at him, and Hermione. As he was taking a bite of his scrambled eggs…

"Harry's cheating on you!" Ron whispered still holding his foot before Harry or Hermione could do anything about it.

Harry started to choke on his eggs.

Ginny's mouth opened and bits of her muffin fell back unto her plate.

Hermione resisted the urge to take her fork and stab it into his…

"I've… got to go now." Ginny said quietly. In seconds, she was out the Great Hall.

"Ron, how could you!" Hermione shouted.

"She deserved to know!" Ron replied.

"Ginny!" Harry shouted getting up from his seat and chasing after, "He didn't mean it! I mean, it's not true! Ginny…!"

Ron and Hermione got up to follow him.

X

Draco had been watching the spectacle from afar with a pleased smirk on his face. He saw and heard everything except that part that Weasel whispered. And no, Draco would not call it eavesdropping, exactly, because they weren't being very discreet about it now were they?

He must say, it was an intresting distraction from the myster of last night.

Anyways, from the way things were going, Draco could tell Weaselbee told Weaslette that Scarhead had been cheating on her. Which surprised him, because he thought that Hermione would tell him.

_Probably too worried about her precious Trio falling out like the Minister's hair. _

"Too late for that, honey," Draco said to himself

"Honey? WHERE!" Goyle shouted hopefully.

A/n: Not muchfunnies in this one. I've realized what a mystery fic this has turned out to be! Oh and before I forget, there are two subtle clues to who a certain person is in this chapter and who that person is associated with…

Read and Review!

-Midnight Blossom


	21. What Happened

A/n: Yay! I updated :)

X

"Ginny! Wait up! Please!" Harry said running after the infuriated red-headed witch.

She whipped around and glared at Harry.

Hermione and Ron, who were chasing after the two, stood at the back of the corridor, sending each other worried glances.

Harry sighed as he walked up to Ginny who was sending out more fumes than a factory.

"Ginny," he said softly as he put his hand on her arm, "I'm so sorry,"

Ginny slapped his hand away.

"Ow!" Harry said as he shook his hand.  
_  
Why is it that every female seemed stronger than him?_

"Just tell me one thing, Harry," Ginny began, "Is it true?"

Harry looked at his shoes and said nothing.

"Well then… It's over," she said. Ginny turned around with a 'Humph' and power walked down the corridor.

Harry sadly watched his ex-girlfriend leave until she was out of sight.

Then something bubbled in him.

_RON._

He turned around to the freckled wizard who was shifting nervously under Harry's enraged glare.

"I… am going… to murder you, Ron" Harry said in a soft but dangerous tone.

Ron backed up. "Harry…"

X

"Did you see that?" Pansy said, right after the Gryffindor scene.

"It was pretty hard to miss," replied Draco.

"Way too much drama, in Gryffindor," Pansy babbled, "Ugh! Imagine if I was sorted into Gryffindor! I mean red and gold? I think I might die…"

Draco just nodded. Honestly, he didn't give a rat's ass about what Pansy was saying. And he was still angry at her for ruining his relationship with Hermione, but he needed to be at least civil to her to get the information he needed. He wasn't a Slytherin for nothing.

"So," Draco said interrupting Pansy's chatter, "How was your sleep?"

Pansy looked at him like he proclaimed his undying love for McGonagall's knickers. "Um," Parkinson replied, "Fine, I suppose..."

"Really?" Draco said arching an eyebrow, "Because I was visited by someone on my way back to the dungeons,"

Pansy looked at him with a little interest. "What's that have to do with me?"

Draco crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Everything."

Pansy said nothing. He could practically hear crickets, she was so clueless.

Draco sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I was visited by _you_,"

Pansy's eyes widened. "That's impossible. I was asleep the whole night! Unless I was sleepwalking again, but father gave me a potion for that back in second year…"

"So it wasn't you?" Draco interrupted again.

"Sorry to disappoint, but no."

"Oh, then later," He didn't sit to listen to Pansy babble again, so just sat up, grabbed his books and left.

X

Hermione chased the raven-haired wizard who was chasing the red-haired wizard. It wasn't long before she lagged behind.

_Merlin, she was PATHETIC when it came to running. After all, she was a bookworm, not a bloody track star. _

She finally caught up with them.

"Harry! Have you gone completely mad!" Hermione shouted.

Harry had been sitting on a red-faced (probably from the lack of oxygen) and flailing Ron Weasly, strangling him with his tie.

A strange gurgling sound came from Ron. One could assume it was a 'HELP ME!'

Hermione miraculously managed to pull Harry off of Ron. Harry roughly pried his hands from Hermione and glared at Ron.

Ron quickly got up running a hand over his neck.

_When did her life become such a soap opera! _

"What's your problem?" Ron said pushing Harry roughly on the shoulder.

"STOP IT!" Hermione shouted at both of them.

_Oh, yes. Now she remembered. Around the time she started to date Draco Malfoy. _

"30 points off of Gryffindor!" Hermione shouted, "Each,"

Harry and Ron stared at her with mouths open.

"Class begins in a few minutes," Hermione began, "I'm going to find Ginny so I can walk her to her class. Figure your problems out," She said as she shoved Harry's tie back into his chest.

The two young men looked at each other.

"What now?" Harry said walking to the nearest wall and leaning on it.

Ron sighed. "Look Harry, Ginny is my sister. Just because you're my friend, I'm not going to pretend you didn't hurt her."

After a moment of silence, Harry replied.

"You're right," Harry said sliding down the war until he was sitting on the floor, "I screwed everything up! Why is it that I screw everything up?" Harry asked running his hand through his hair.

"You don't screw everything up," Ron comforted, "But… you did screw your relationship with Ginny up,"

Harry's eyes shot up at Ron. "Why thank you, Ron"

RING

Ron looked up at the ceiling. "The bell, we should be headed towards class,"

X

"This is my stop," Ginny said outside the Charms classroom where Professor Flitwick was welcoming the students with a smile.

She gave Hermione a small sad smile and waved to her good bye.

Hermione's first class was the History of Magic, which was just down the hall.

As she was walking, her mind drifted off about Ginny. She couldn't believe how strong she was. Yes, she praised her for her strength, but was also a little disappointed in her.

Hermione couldn't believe what a big hypocrite she was. She didn't seem so hurt when Hermione caught her snogging some – OOF.

Hermione had bumped into someone. Her immediate reaction was to apologize and keep walking, but that was before she saw two gray eyes gazing down at her.

Hermione cleared her throat.

"Malfoy," she tried to say as stoical as possible.

"Granger," Draco replied.

That surprised Hermione. There was no smirk. No scorn. No hatred. Just… Draco. Part of her expected him to say, "Good morning, mudblood," Or anything to make her angry, for that matter.Just something to squash the butterflies in her stomach.

"Right," Hermione said brushing past him and entering the classroom.

X

He was watching her again. Hermione could feel his eyes boring into her back. She fought with herself not to turn around and face her midnight visitor. He had only visited her once, but his words still rang in her ears.

_"Stupid Mudblood," he spat as he fiddled with her_ _wand, "Let's just say that evil comes in many, many forms," _

_He turned around to the sound coming from the boy's dormitories._

_He turned back around to Hermione and smirked, "Looks like we have a visitor,"_

_Before she knew it, his lips were crashing down upon her. It was rough and brutal. She pushed him off and slapped him._

He touched his cheek and smirked. "Feisty."

_Then, he was just gone._

_He couldn't have apparated because the anti-apparation wards were very complicated, Hermione thought.It would take forever to get through them, it must be some sort of other magic..._

Harry then came down from the stairs and sent her a small smile. Before he could say anything, Hermione was hugging him with the strength of a troll and holding a death grip around this neck.

_"Harry, where were you?" Hermione said still unnerved._

_"I just went to up to change," Harry explained, "Those jeans were being to chafe..."_

"Miss Granger," Binns called, "Can you please tell the class between what years did the Gremlins revolt?"

Hermione snapped out of her daydreaming, "Um, between the 1600s and 1700s,"

"Correct," Binns replied, "And do try to pay attention," he finished as he began to drone on again.

Harry nudged her side. When she turned to him, he seemed to be holding back laughter. She raised her eyebrow and then he gestured toward Ron.

Ron was snoring lighting, with his head rested on the heel of his hand that was beginning to slip.

_BAM!_ Ron's forehead banged on the desk.

"BLOODY HELL!" Ron shouted rubbing at the red spot on his forehead. Harry was doubling over with laughter, and soon was the whole class.

"Quiet!" Binns said trying to restore order, "20 points from Gryffindor!"

Everyone quieted down when Dumbledore appeared in the doorway.

X

Draco watched as Dumbledore walked in and asked for a word with Professor Binns.

While the two were out, people began to whisper with each other. He turned his attention to Crabbe and Goyle who were chuckling still at Weasly's misfortune. Draco wrinkled his nose up in disgust for the two. He knew why he started to hang out with them, but he didn't know why he still did.

Dumb-ledore walked back into the classroom and smiled at the students. Then he started apologizing for interruption and blah blah blah. It wasn't long before Draco tuned out.

Draco eyed Dumbledore's long white beard. He might have not fully inherited his father's hate for muggleborns, but he did share in his hate for Dumbledore.

How could someone be _that_ old and still be able to walk and talk without some sort of help? Didn't muggles have those contraptions for the elderly? It was supposed to carry them around places and all the old farts had to do was move a wheel or stick or something.

Draco imagined Dumbledore in one of those machines riding through the corridor. His usual tidy self was disheveled and he was zooming from place to place screaming at the top of his lungs "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Draco shook his head at the bizarre thought. He looked up at th old man and resumed listening to what he had to say.

A/n: Draco's last thought was weird huh? That was actually mine when I was washing the dishes :P Read and Review plz!

-MidnightBlossom


	22. Giant Mutant Bunny

A/n: Here's an extra short chapter. I would make it longer but I didn't know what to write next. So instead of making you wait till I get an idea to makethechapterlonger, I decided just to post. Enjoy!

X

_"Why won't that woman stop staring at me?" _Draco thought. _If you can call her a woman, looks more like a creature from the depths of hell to me… _

Pansy was staring at him; eyes wide and mouth almost hanging open.

_Sometimes I think being this sexy is a curse…_

"Take a picture," Draco whispered, "It'll last longer."

Pansy snapped back to reality. "What?"

Draco rolled his eyes and returned his attention to the front of the class.

While he was roaming his eyes across the classroom, they fell upon a certain bushy haired muggleborn witch. Then, it happened.

Draco bit his lip not to shout in pain. The pain was coming from his forearm. He was calling him.

Of course, the Dark Mark had stung, but it had never hurt this bad before.

Didn't they know he was in the middle of class! They can't just expect him to up and leave! And when they ask for an explanation, do they expect him to be like, 'Oh nothing serious, only the Dark Lord was calling me. You know, probably to kill a few muggles. It's nothing serious'

"Draco, what's wrong?" Pansy asked worriedly. Draco seemed tense and his breathing was shallow.

"Professor!" Pansy shouted wrapping her hands possessively around his arm, "I think Malfoy needs to go to the Hospital Wing!"

"No!" Draco shouted as he tried to pry his arm from her grasp. "You don't look so well, Mr. Malfoy, I have to side with Miss Parkinson," Binns replied, "Will you accompany him?"

"I can go by myself!" Draco said being completely ignored.

"Of course!" Pansy said. Now her plan could take action.

X

"Hmm… I wonder if Malfoy's all right," Hermione thought out loud.

Ron raised an eyebrow. "You don't still like him do you? I mean, after what he did, I'm surprised you didn't turn him into some sort of… giant mutant rabbit or something.

Hermione smiled at the thought of Draco being a giant mutant rabbit. It could certainly go onto the list of things he's been turned into. But, Hermione thought, what was it with Weasleys and rabbits? I mean _The Burrow_, they have a lot of children, like rabbits…. so they must definitely shag like rabbits.

"Ew!" Hermione said squeezing her eyes shut. Bad Imagery.

"What, you think Malfoy being turned into a giant mutant rabbit is _gross?_" Ron asked and then chuckled, "If that happened, I would probably laugh myself into a catatonic coma."

"I second that," Harry included.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Honestly guys."

"What? You have to admit that would be pretty funny." Harry said.

"AHEM!" It was Binns. "You certainly are out of it today, aren't you Miss Granger?"

"Sorry, professor," Hermione replied.

The ghost-teacher just nodded and turned to the board and continued the lecture.

As Hermione returned to her notes, she smiled. That would be funny.

X

Draco and Pansy were in the corridor by now.

"I don't need you to baby me, Parkinson!" Draco shouted at her.

"So it's Parkinson now, is it?" Pansy said.

Draco said nothing but sent her a look of disliking.

Pansy sighed. "Look, I didn't just come to help you, I need to tell you something."

"Couldn't you wait till later, say after… I DIE?"

_Where can I dump her? I need to get rid of her so I can see why they're calling me. But how? She's practically humping my leg! _

"It's about Granger." Pansy said stopping.

Draco stopped too. "So, why should I care?"

"Draco…"

Draco sighed. "Fine, what?"

Pansy looked around for a room. When she found one, she walked up to the door, poked her head in and gestured for Draco to come inside.

Draco closed the door behind them.

"Okay, what's this rubbish all about," he said as he turned around to face Pansy.

When he did, Pansy had her wand pointed at him.

"I'm really sorry about this, Draco." Pansy apologized.

_"STUPEFY!"_

A/n: OOOOHHH! A cliffy :) I'm so evil, I know. I think I should be posting the next chappie soon. Read and Review!

-MidnightBlossom


	23. Hurricane Draco

Disclaimer: I don't own HP.

A/n: I think that was a rather fast update, dontcha think?

X

It was already dinnertime.

Harry and Ron were discussing about something probably insignificant, and she was deep in thought. Hermione was one of the few Gryffindors that paid attention to the little things. What had Dumbledore come to class for anyways? It wasn't rare that he visited the classroom, but he had talked to the professor alone. Could that mean that something was wrong? Or was it something small, like they needed more cauldrons?

Hermione noticed that Parkinson had come back to class empty handed. She kept putting her hand in her robe as if checking if something was still there. Hermione shook her head.  
_  
"You're not supposed to care about those things anymore, Hermione. Just in case you've forgotten, you and Dra- MALFOY - It's Malfoy now, dammit- have broken up and you guys aren't of the best of terms right now." _she thought_. _

X

Draco stirred. As he woke up he found he was in some deserted classroom and was in a rather uncomfortable position on the cold marble floor. He sat up and rubbed his head. What happened?

Then it came to him.

Pansy stupefied him. But for what? He looked at the small cut on his arm. Interesting, that wasn't there this morning. Speaking of morning, what time was it?

He stood up and walked up to the small window that was high up the wall. He had to stretch, but he managed. Draco saw that it was dark out. It was evening and he had missed all his classes!

Draco turned around leaned on the wall and purposely bumped the back of head against the wall. They had a test today!

Then something else came to him, something that made his heart stop for a moment.

Where was his wand? Draco frantically searched him robes and breathed a sigh of relief when he found it in his robes. A scowl formed on Draco's face. He was going to find out what happened, and Parkinson was going to tell him.

X

He stormed into the Great Hall and headed directly toward the Slytherin table to a startled Pansy Parkinson.

He stopped right behind Pansy.

"WHAT IN THE BLEEDING FUCK DID YOU DO TO ME!"

Pansy froze and the Great Hall's chatter dimmed down to a few whispers.

An angry Draco was a very, very, very scary Draco.

He knew he would get in trouble for his language, and knew that the professors were probably were planning to deduct points from Slytherin – It didn't matter anyways, it was obvious Hufflepuff was going to win the House Cup this year - but right now he just wanted the know what in Merlin's name got into the witch that sat in front of him.

"Draco, not here," she whispered as she got up from her seat.

He grabbed her arm and practically dragged her out of the Great Hall.

X

"Um… that was interesting," Ron remarked. As he was watching Malfoy pull Parkinson out of the Great Hall, he saw Ginny walking into the Great Hall and sitting beside him.

"Hey Hermione," she said with a small smile.

Hermione nodded. "Ginny,"

Ginny cleared her throat. "Harry."

"Ginny." Harry replied stiffly.

"Ron!" Ron said.

They looked at him weirdly.

"What?" explained Ron, "I felt left out…"

Hermione, Ginny and Harry all rolled their eyes and returned to their dinner.

X

Draco made sure they were alone, but near people. Just in case Miss Stupidity over here tries something funny again. He grabbed her arm tightly.

"Explain." Draco demanded.

_And so **help** me if she gave me an STD…_

"Draco, I'm really sorry!"

"I didn't ask for an apology, Pansy!" Draco shouted, "I want an explanation!"

"I did it for us!" she pleaded.

"Dammit Parkinson!" Draco said letting go of her hand and running his hands through his hair, "When will you get, there is no us! There will _never_ be an us! There never _was _us!"

Parkinson started to cry, "But-"

"No!" Draco shouted. He showed her the cut on his arm, "What were you thinking!"

"I want to tell you, but I can't, you won't believe me," Pansy said with tears, "I did it for us, it just… went horribly, horribly wrong."

Draco gave a bitter laugh. "You want to know what else is horribly, horribly wrong? You. You sick and twisted little-"

"Stop! Draco… I know you hate me, but I don't hate you at all. But h-how can you choose a _muggleborn_ over me! How! I was there for you since the beginning! I want the old Draco back, the one that was a true Malfoy, not the blood-traitor that stands before me today!"

Draco almost slapped her. _Almost. _

But she was right. He had changed.

He shook his head. She was making him loose focus on the real issue here.

"I don't need a bloody lecture, Parkinson. I want to know what got into you, and why are going through so much trouble just to ruin my life!"

"If this is about your arm, it's just a cut! You can charm it so it heals faster!"

"You're avoiding the question!" Draco snapped.

She jumped when Draco snapped at her. "I already told you, I can't tell you. But… you'll thank me later on." Pansy replied. Then she just turned around and left.

X

Draco planned to go to dinner after confronting Parkinson, but he just lost his appetite. What if she was doing some freaky love potion and needed his blood, or was making some sort of shrine?

He walked up to the portrait that guarded the Head's dorm.

The portrait had a flower and was putting it in her hair.

_Funny, _Draco thought, _Almost every week she has a new accessory. _

"Irritum."

_What was it with Granger and all the complicated Latin passwords? I would be perfectly content with passwords like, "Gryffindor boys are drag queens just waiting to happen" or "The Weasleys are hobos." _

_You know, fancy ones like that. _

"You may enter," the portrait replied.

Draco stepped inside and immediately he had chills. The fire in the fireplace was out, which was very rare especially on cold days like these. He stepped into his room and saw Lucius Malfoy standing there, pimp cane and everything.

He looked up, "Draco, I didn't see you today," he started smoothly as he ran a finger across Draco's desk and looked at his finger to see if there was dust.

"Sorry, father," Draco replied, "I was… sidetracked."

"Sidetracked? The mudblood again, I presume?" Lucius eyed him distastefully at his disheveled appearance.

"Actually no, sir," Draco answered, "We're not together anymore."

A sly smile came across the elder Malfoy's face. "Glad you came to your senses."

_If fear wasn't holding me back, I would take that cane and whip that disgusting smile off his face…  
_  
Draco just nodded.

Lucius tapped his ring impatiently on the snakehead of his cane.

"Well?"

"Well what? …Sir."

"Who broke it off with whom?" Lucius asked as he rolled his eyes.

"Oh… um, I broke it off with her." Draco lied.

"Ah," was Lucius' reply.

"This is quite the change of behavior from my last visit," Lucius remarked, "I suppose, I should be getting to the point."

_Always a point with you, is it? I thought you were done with your usual visit routine. You know, strike fear into the hearts of students and house elves; maybe smack a few people with your cane, dry hump a few statues on the way here… _

"It's time to prove your loyalty to the Dark Lord, Draco."

A/n: The next chap should be up soon, so don't start throwing those tomatoes! I hope you enjoyed! Read and Review.

-MidnightBlossom


	24. Pyschoism

A/n: Well, I said I was going to update soon… and I didn't. My bad! I thought everything would come to me cuz I had so many ideas, but I was lazy (again). So, I'm really sorry.

Enjoy and on with the show!

X

Hermione had planned to spend the rest of the evening in the library. She said the password to the portrait that guarded the Head Dorms and headed towards her room. While she passed Draco's door, she heard voices.

_"Actually no, sir…We're not together anymore."_

"_Glad you came to your senses."_

The other voice she recognized to be Draco, the other, she wasn't as sure, but guessed it to be Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father.

As much as she hated it, she couldn't deny she would be a bit worried if that was his father. Hermione remembered Draco's condition the last time they met privately.

She walked into her room and closed the door.

Hermione smiled as she saw Crookshanks sleeping on top of her bureau.

All she needed was her books, and she was on her way to the library. Hermione went to her books that were on her desk, but she heard a knocking on the window. She turned to see a familiar looking owl.

Hermione opened the window and let the tiny hyper bird in.

"Hello Pig."

She thought it was a rather peculiar name for an owl. 'But,' Hermione thought, 'My cat's name is Crookshanks, so I really shouldn't be talking…'

Then she read the note that was attached to the owl's leg. It read:

_I am in desperate need of your help! Please get here ASAP! _

_- Ginny_

Hermione couldn't tell if those were teardrops, raindrops, or if the owl had a little accident on the parchment. Either way, it looked very important. She gathered up her books, and ran out of her room.

X

Running through the Forbidden forest, Pansy's heart began to race when she realized it was a full moon. 'I'm almost there,' she thought, 'All I need to do is give the Lady what she wants and I'll be rid of that wretched creature for good…'

She was almost there, but when Pansy thought she was in the clear, she heard something howl. She could tell it was near.

X

"Loyalty? Didn't I prove it to him when I got the Dark Mark?"

"The Dark Mark doesn't prove your devotion, Draco, it is simply a sign to show that you are within the ranks of the Dark Lord. You see, there is word of a spy, among the Death Eaters, you are just one of many that are being tested."

"Me?" Draco asked, "Why don't you just – "

"You ask too many questions, Draco." Lucius spat.

_Ugh. Again with the spitting? Having a bit of a saliva problem, are you? You should really get that checked out… _

"Get properly dressed," Lucius ordered, brushing past Draco and heading toward the common room, "Don't want to meet the Dark Lord looking like a troll, do we?"

X

There was a rustling of bushes and twigs that snapped. The howling was now a growling. It grew louder and louder and as Pansy looked behind her….

She saw a werewolf charging toward her.

X

When Lucius walked out of Draco's room, he saw the portrait that led out into the corridor, closing. Something – or someone – must have been leaving.

He pushed the thought out of his mind; after all, it was probably the mudblood.

Lucius studied the common room. It had coffee colored walls. It was decorated with paintings, and wooden bookcases lined the wall. Over by a bookcase, there was a desk that had neatly stacked parchment, and a quill in an inkbottle. There was a mantle over the fireplace where strange shaped vases were. As Lucius looked over the common room, his eyes swept across the staircase that led to Hermione's room.

He raised an eyebrow. **_  
_**  
X

Pansy ran in between the trees trying to loose the creature that snapped furiously at her back. Her surroundings looked familiar. Pansy realized below her was the Lady.

Tears fell from her eyes as she began to say the incantation. She had to stand still to chant, because the ground would only open in one area. The werewolf was a short distance away.

Leaning against a tree, Pansy chanted the words, faster than usual, that opened up the earth.

_"Era of Obscurum_

_Era of Nox noctis_

_Era of Decor Quod_

_Era of Vires ego adeo vos is_

_Plenus luna nox noctis_

_Succurro mihi triumphus_

_Sic ego may smitus_

_Era of Obscurum_

_Quod Era of Nox noctis…" _

The werewolf was at an arms length when she was on the second to last line. Holding her breath, the werewolf would…

X

Lucius glanced at Draco's door. Draco, who took as much time as his mother to get ready, would probably be a while. So while he waited, why not have a bit of fun?

He began to go up the stairs to Hermione's room.

When he was finally at the top, he grabbed a handkerchief from his robe and wiped the doorknob. He wasn't going to touch what the mudblood touched.

With the handkerchief still on the doorknob, Lucius turned the handle.

It opened.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised that the girl didn't close her door.

_Didn't they call her the brightest witch of the age, or something of the sort? Well, apparently, she's not all that bright…_

Stepping in the room and looking around, he would see that it had pictures of her, the blood-traitor, and The-Boy-Who-Lost-Him-His-Servant. Yes, Lucius was still very irked about that. When it came to grudges, the Malfoys simply never let go. They didn't just 'Forgive and Forget'. For the Malfoys, it went more like, 'Revenge, and If You Get Caught, Deny It'.

The room also had a few pictures of Draco and the mudblood. It almost made him queasy. Lucius wanted to know, was Draco on _drugs_ on something, or did he just wake up one morning and say, "I'm going to date a muggleborn to piss my father off!"

But, the most dominant quality of the room was not the pictures, or the Gryffindor colors (Seriously, the two colors made him want to gouge his eyes out. If he ever thought to lower himself to talk to her, which he wouldn't, he would tell her they _are_ other colors besides red and gold…).

It was how many books there were in the room. The girl probably went all cross-eyed from reading so much.

His eyes roamed the room, and fell upon a dresser.

It wasn't just any old drawer. It was, Hermione's underwear drawer.

X

Hermione ran up to the Fat Lady.

"_Volito_." She said hurriedly.

"You may enter…" replied the Fat Lady opening up.

She ran into the common room.

"Does anyone know where Ginny is?" Hermione asked.

"She's in the girl's dorm…" a sixth year answered. Then the sixth year muttered under her breath, "That psycho…"

"Thanks." Hermione replied hastily, not hearing her.

She climbed the stairs skipping one stair at a time. Then she heard a shriek. That made her skip two stairs at a time. Things were racing through her mind, like Ginny was being kidnapped by Death Eaters or maybe she and Ron had gotten into a huge row or…

Hermione opened the door to the sixth year girl's dorm and saw Ginny in front of a mirror… holding a dress?

"Ginny, I …came here… as fast… as I... could..."she said panting.

"Oh Hermione! This is horrible!" Ginny said on the verge of tears.

"What? Are you hurt!" Hermione said walking up to her, and holding her by the shoulders.

Ginny shook her head. "I have nothing to wear for my date!"

Hermione's mouth dropped open. "Date?"

X

Pansy fell through underground with a thud. She groaned and rubbed her head as she got up. Then she heard a whimpering sound from above.

The werewolf musthave leapt at her, but hit the tree instead as she sunk into the ground.

She dusted off her bottom and her knees as she looked up into the almost black, red eyes of the Maiden of the Macabre.

"Do you have it?.."

Her voice no longer had that deep rich accent, but was coarse and haggard.

Pansy put her hand in her robes and took out a small vile of blood.

Draco's blood.

The whole day she had been worried that she would lose it. After all, it was pretty small. She wondered if anyone noticed her constant checking of her robes.

She held it out in front of her.

"Yes."

A/n: Yes, I know I'm evil. These last few chapters there hasn't been a lot of Hermione and Draco interaction, but I'm building up to it!

Oh and in case you're wondering:

_Volito -Hurry  
_  
I luv online translators, don't you?

Remember to review!

Hugz and Kisses

-Midnight Blossom


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